


Expectations

by madmeridian



Series: Expectations [1]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Bad Parenting, Character Death, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Happy Ending, M/M, Threats of Violence, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:09:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25437460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madmeridian/pseuds/madmeridian
Summary: Near and Mello both struggle with their respective roles and find themselves having to deal with each other on top of everything else.
Relationships: L/Yagami Light, Linda/Matt | Mail Jeevas, Mello | Mihael Keehl/Near | Nate River
Series: Expectations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897828
Comments: 66
Kudos: 97





	1. Duty

Near waited patiently, sitting in an ornate chair with his hands folded in his lap. He preferred not to sit so straight or proper, but anyone could walk in at any moment and see him slouched if he didn’t. Being a prince meant that he had to look perfect whenever he could be seen by someone. It was drilled into his head since he was young. If he showed anything less than perfection, it would ruin the image they’d crafted for the people and be a disappointment to his family. 

Well, what was left of his family. His parents, who were the ones who had really cared about image and reputation, were dead. His older brother, L, didn’t really care all that much. In fact, he hated the expectations more than Near. But they had been raised to follow the rules, and they’d keep doing what was expected of them.

To be fair, L’s husband, Light, would have made sure they upheld tradition anyway. Light was born into a wealthy family but not quite wealthy enough to be considered part of the court with the nobility whose families had been there for hundreds of years. But wealthy enough to get into the castle once or twice and catch L’s attention. 

Near used to wonder if Light was so concerned about the royal image because of the whispers and chitchat from the nobility. When Light married into the family, many had called Light unworthy, middle class, and anything else derogatory relating to his former status. However, he’d soon realized Light didn’t really care about anything they said. The man really was just a stickler for always looking perfect, something Near had learned from talking to his sister, Sayu. Either way, it didn’t matter much to Near. He knew Light loved his brother, which was all that was important to him.

But Light was wonderful at manipulating and charming the members of their court, so most of the whispers about him soon stopped anyway. 

The past four years Light had been in his family had given Near some familiarity with the minuscule cracks in Light’s perfected facade. He was sitting in his own seat nearby, waiting with Near. To almost anyone else, he would seem like a statue, cold and unmoving. But Near could see his eyes just barely shift to the door every so often. A small sign of impatience. Near couldn’t blame him. L was due to arrive any minute and he was less than happy having to wait out negotiations for a peace treaty.

Normally, the two of them would attend such meetings by L’s side, but this meeting had been with the monarch of a nearby country, Albeva. The people of Albeva still believed Omegas were brainless breeding stock. For Near and Light, who were both stubborn, determined, and intelligent Omegas, it was wise to stay away.

Shauso, Near’s home country, was quite the opposite. Having two brilliant Omegas in the royal family helped, but there had been plenty of laws passed to stop Omega oppression decades ago. Albeva was a bit behind the times on that particular subject.

However, Albeva was a powerhouse in war. They were relatively good strategists and had powerful armies that knew how to wield weapons well. They had a great deal of experience too. Shauso’s armies weren’t as strong, but the country was full of top notch scholars, so Shauso had won most of its wars through strategy and great leadership.

Neither country had wanted to go to war. It would’ve ruined both sides and taken years. There had been a small skirmish on the borders, almost insignificant, but in case there was another situation and it escalated, the nations had quickly agreed to make a treaty to ensure they wouldn’t have to fight any time soon.

Light and Near had to agree not to go. Normally they would’ve argued against staying home, but the entire nation’s well-being was at risk if things went wrong. They both knew it wouldn’t be worth it if negotiations fell through.

It didn’t make waiting here uselessly any less hard.

Light had been more furious than Near had. He’d been vocal about how frustrating this was for him and Near. All L could do was apologize. Near hadn’t given his brother a hard time about it. It wasn’t his fault that their neighboring country bought into fallacies about Omegas. 

L was also not happy about not bringing them with. They could provide advice and often did. Not to mention, they were the two people closest to L and were his supports in difficult situations. 

This arrangement wasn’t ideal, but if negotiations were successful, it would be worth it.

Which is why Near and Light were sitting there, waiting to hear firsthand from L what had happened.

Finally, the door opened. Near and Light both stood quickly, eager to hear about what they’d missed. L walked in, standing tall and proud. However, as soon as the door closed, L began to slouch. His face fell and he looked exhausted

"What happened?" Light asked immediately, walking over to hug and kiss L. L didn’t respond. After getting his welcome home from Light, he approached Near. Near had a bad feeling he knew what the Albevans had asked for to seal their deal. He didn't voice what he thought and just gave his brother a short hug. They weren't very affectionate with one another, as they had been raised that way. This rare show was not a good sign. 

"Are you going to answer me, L?" Light asked, crossing his arms. Light had not been Near's favorite person when they'd met, but they'd slowly warmed up to one another. Even so, he still thought Light could be a little rude sometimes. He was surprised he hadn’t chided L about his posture, but perhaps he had also noticed L’s tired eyes and was giving him a break. 

"Our assembly will meet in an hour," L said, reaching out to touch Light's arm. "You aren't going to like it."

"You aren't making us wait to find out," Light responded, shrugging L’s hand away. "Not after we had to sit here uselessly. You owe us this." 

L sighed and gave Near a tender look that Near immensely disliked. His brother, an Alpha, always did his best to not underestimate or infantilize him, Light, and any other Omega. But there were moments he forgot himself and got soft with them. 

"The Albevans asked for Near to marry their prince, Mihael Keehl. Mihael is 21 years old and is expected to wed soon as per tradition in his nation. Near is of age too, so King Odell demanded marriage. It was the one thing he really pushed for." L watched Near's reaction closely, probably to check if Near was scared or upset with the condition. Near kept his face blank, reactionless.

Before L had left, Near had told L that he thought they might ask for marriage and that he had better agree. His brother’s emotions should have no part in diplomacy with a relatively unknown, dangerous country. They needed to ensure safety for their people. Ever since he presented as an Omega he’d assumed that he would be married off in a political play. It was a fact that he’d already resigned himself to and had accepted years ago.

"You're trading Near off to them," Light said flatly. He didn’t sound upset, but was he said was enough for Near to tell that he was about to argue.

"No," Near spoke up. "I have a duty as the prince of Shauso to do what is best for my country. I know you do not like it and neither does L, but this is what we must do."

They were always so protective. L, like himself, rarely showed his true emotions, but if Near was ever under attack, he could be quite vicious in defending him. Light was often more subtle about it, but he was Near’s brother-in-law and they’d been able to bond over the difficulties and treatment people gave them because of their dynamic. 

Light, of all people, should’ve understood how important this was. He was supposed to have been married off to someone wealthy too. It just so happened that L took interest in him before any other rich suitor had been accepted.

Near didn’t have the luxury of someone saving him from this. He was really L’s only bargaining chip (not that L would ever call him that). It was why he assumed that the Albevans would ask for marriage. Two unmarried princes of age. It was a wise coupling. 

"I know." Light sat down next to Near, looking up at L. "What else is there?" Near didn’t appreciate the subject change. He had questions about what he would be facing in Albeva.

"The rest was boring," L said flippantly, not taking a seat. "Talking about trades and borders and other business between the countries. You can look it all over at the meeting."

"I thought Albevan monarchs were strictly non-Omega," Near interrupted, turning the conversation back to their neighboring country. He needed to know as much as possible. The thought had come to his mind. The late Queen of Albeva, King Odell’s wife, had been a Beta. He couldn’t remember the last time any Omega had sat on a throne there from his history lessons.

"Not necessarily. The past few have been Alpha or Beta. But they've had Omegas in the royal family as spouses to the reigning monarch. It’s been decades since the last time though.” 

"What is Prince Mihael like?" Near asked, leaning forward. He wasn’t sure how much time he’d have to get to know his future spouse, so any information would be useful.

"I'll be honest, I really don't know. He seems like a very serious boy. He just sat there silently through the entire meeting, but he didn't look very happy." 

"I wouldn't expect him to," Near murmured. "He has to get married to someone unfamiliar, too." 

L shifted uncomfortably. Near knew he disliked discussing this, how his little brother would be sent away to an unfamiliar country to marry someone no one here really knew at all. Near also knew that’s why he wasn’t sitting down yet. He wasn’t good at reading most people, but L was an exception as his older brother. The Alpha had stayed standing so that he could escape as soon as possible.

"I should probably go refresh myself before the council meeting," L said cautiously. "I'll see you both then." It was absolutely an excuse to get away from any further questions, but Near allowed it. His brother needed energy before the council members attacked with their own barrage of questions. He had to deal with the Albevans earlier too so Near was willing to give him reprieve.

The council was made up of a variety of nobility. Dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons. The closest to the king made up his advisors. But the council was a looser circle of nobles, gathered to represent the whole court. The whole court was difficult to summon at once and was large. It was rare that they all met, and not everyone was trusted there. But even the council wasn’t fully trusted and they could be a little much sometimes. 

“You will tell me more later, won’t you?” Near asked. 

“Yes, Near,” L sighed wearily. 

"If you think you can get out of talking easily, you’re wrong," Light said, standing back up. "I'm coming with you and you will tell me all that happened. Verbatim." 

They both left the room and Near sat there alone. A moment after they walked out, Near's personal attendant, Gevanni, entered the room. He gave a short bow to Near.

"The meeting isn't for a little while still, Your Royal Highness," he said. "Maybe you should return to your room for now?" 

Near contemplated his options. Yes, he usually would go back to his room and be alone before having to sit through a dull meeting. On the other hand, he had research to do. He weighed his options. He desperately wanted alone time, but...

"No, I think I'll go to the library until then," Near said. The Beta blinked and nodded. He gave another small bow and waited for Near to lead the way.

L hadn't told him how long he had until he'd have to leave for Albeva, but he was going to learn as much as he could before he left. He hadn't studied much of Albeva when he had lessons, but he intended to walk in with some idea of the country.

༺──────────────༻

"He's going to get hurt," Light snapped at L as soon as the door shut behind them. "They'll tear him apart. You know they’re barbarians over there.” L winced and flopped down onto their bed. He wanted to rest and curl up with Light, but knew he still had to face council and then work for another few hours.

"Near can handle himself quite well." L felt so tired. And hopeless. Logically he knew Near was strong willed, but the protective Alpha part of him hated the idea of sending his little brother away to a place like that. He was also devastated because he had to say goodbye to the last piece of his family.

Sure, he would see Near again on visits. But he was used to the Omega being around daily. It wouldn’t be easy to watch him go.

"It doesn't matter if he can handle himself. Prince Mihael will be his main concern since they’ll be married." Light sunk down into a chair. "That boy can't be stable, with a father like _that_." L hummed in agreement. King Odell was a demanding man. Though he’d seemed relatively friendly when they had met, L had heard the man was ruthless and controlling. He certainly had a cruel look in his eye every time he looked at his son, who had stared at the table the whole time, silent and angry. 

Something was going on there. He would have to warn Near before he left. There wasn’t much time.

“He leaves the day after tomorrow. The Albevans have been busy. They’ve got it all planned out. Odell has been planning to make his son marry for a long time. I think he was just looking for a strategic choice.”

“Of course. And there’s not much better than the prince who is first in line for a throne.” 

“Hopefully not for long,” L said, glancing at Light’s abdomen. Light pursed his lips. 

“Hopefully. It will take pressure off of Near.”

“Yes. I have a feeling that the council won’t like him leaving without another heir secured. One who won’t be married to our suspicious neighbors.” 

“The council won’t like him leaving because he’s walking into a country that forces Omegas to submit and treats us as lesser. And though Albeva is our ally now, how much do we really know about them?” 

“We’ll know more once Near is over there,” L reminded him. Light let out a huff, glaring at him. 

“Sending him there to get intel would not have been my strategy.” Light was acting haughty and cold with him, but L knew it was just because Light was just as upset about this as L was. Light could often be difficult to decipher, but he cared about Near too. 

L could remember a time when he’d thought that the two would never like each other and he’d be stuck in a constant battle between them. And now he was sitting here trying to convince Light to not be upset with them for sending Near away. It amused him a bit, thinking about it, but there were more pressing things to focus on. 

"We don't have a choice, Light." L stared at him. "You know we all have-"

"-a duty to Shauso and its people," Light finished for him. He gave a rare sigh and moved to lay down next to him on the bed. "I'm aware of that. It doesn't mean I always have to like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been dancing around the idea of writing an abo royalty au fic for a while. I got the idea from reading [ Allium](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7665388/chapters/17455024) by niahana (It’s unfinished and there’s only five chapters, but I love it). It was a fantastic au and I kinda played with the concept of writing my own fic for a while because I’m bad at plots, but I finally worked out what I wanted to do. 
> 
> I just want to clarify a few things. Some of the structure of the nobility here will be based off of European nobility, just because I’m more comfortable writing with it. However, the two countries (Shauso and Albeva) are completely fictional so the traditions from each country is just stuff that I tossed in or made up (and will explain in end notes if needed).
> 
> Certain characters will be referred to be their real name in some parts and their nickname in others. It will depend on who the POV is focused on. I figure most people know, but I didn’t want someone to get confused when I write their names differently. Also, Near’s last name will be Lawliet in this, at least before the marriage (it comes up only once or twice).
> 
> Also, I wanted to mentions that there isn’t really a time period this is set in, it’s just an au. They have technology for transportation and communication, but it’s mainly only be available to the wealthy. It wouldn’t be used for entertainment, so no iPhones or stuff like that. It isn’t very important to the story, which is why I’m saying it here. 
> 
> One last thing! If you couldn’t tell by the summary, this will be Mello/Near focused. L/Light and Matt/Linda are background ships. If enough people like this and ask for it, I may write some little side fics (one or two chapters) about any of those three ships. It wouldn’t be until after I completely finished the story, but that won’t take long! I have this all pre-written, so all I have to do between chapters is revise and then post! I won’t give a promise on update schedules, but it won’t take long between chapters (and as you can see, there’s only thirteen chapters).
> 
> I promise the rest of my end notes will not be this long. I just wanted to establish some stuff now!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! If you comment, I will do my best to respond to you (I’m always super excited to get them)!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. New

There was a firm knock at the door. It swung open a moment later. Near bowed dutifully as L walked into his room. It probably wasn't necessary, but he still did it, just in case. 

"Near, I’d like to talk for a moment." L shuffled into the room awkwardly. Their terrible social graces had been patched away in etiquette training for the most part, but they rarely pretended around each other.

Near sat with one leg tucked against his chest and one dangling off his seat. L pulled both of his legs up to his chest. They observed each other for a minute. 

"About what?" Near asked carefully. He wasn’t entirely sure what L wanted, but he had an idea as to why he was here.

“You know what’s expected of you in Albeva?" L asked, voice hollow. Near nodded, already up to date how to act from the studying he had done on Albeva in the last twenty four hours. He was not one to obey so easily, but he knew the consequences for doing something wrong there were… severe. It would do no good to get into trouble, so he had to be careful.

"I've read plenty," Near said, waving his current book. "I suppose I'll have to pretend to be a good little Omega there." He didn’t need to hear it twice. He had to stay silent, obedient, complacent while he was in front of people there. His opinion wouldn’t matter much to anyone. He’d be lucky to even speak in the presence of the nobility and royalty there. 

"It's not fair for Omegas there, but you will be married to the heir to the throne. Mihael will be king at some point. You may be able to convince him that it would be worthwhile to pass laws protecting Omegas, Near. You're very clever, you know." Near knew he was clever, but not charming. He doubted that he could convince the son of one of the most dangerous men on the planet. 

Albeva had won wars against every smaller country surrounding it, conquering all in their path. They were powerful. Their royal family had to be too. And he would be marrying the one to inherit it all. He would have to try and convince him to change, but it probably wouldn’t be easy and he could possibly be putting himself in danger if the wrong people found out or if Mihael couldn’t be persuaded. 

It was worth a try. He might be able to do it, but he would have to evaluate the Prince properly before doing anything. 

“There also seems to be some underlying tension between Odell and Mihael. I’m not sure exactly what it stems from, but you may be able to use it to your advantage.”

"Play them off one another? From what I’ve heard, Mihael is very smart too, so he might see through that. If I get a chance, I’ll try," Near responded, hoping it would placate L. He knew it didn’t. "You'll see me before I get married. I guess I’ll let you know then.”

"Yes. Just three weeks." 

The wedding was already being planned in Albeva. He was set to leave tomorrow morning, so he could grow accustomed to his new home and meet his future husband. The council was furious he was leaving so soon.

In three short weeks, he would get married to Mihael in Albeva. It was just enough time for him to be fitted for whatever he’d be wearing and change any last minute things for him in the wedding. It appeared that King Odell had planned this for a while and L had said as much at the council meeting. 

"That's not very long to get to know someone," Near commented, twirling a curl with his pinky finger. "You knew Light for three years before you married him."

"Light and I had the luxury of a choice."

"I know that. I was just pointing out that I had much less time."

"You'll be fine, Near. You're perfectly capable of dealing with this." 

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself,” Near said dryly. L frowned and moved to sit properly, so he could lean forward and grab Near's hand in a way Near assumed was meant to be supportive. Neither of them were good at expressing their feelings, so they often ended up in these odd situations, unsure of what to do. Near knew that L probably wasn't dealing well with the fact he would be leaving tomorrow. 

Everything was happening so quickly. The next three weeks would be busy.

He squeezed L's hand back and stood up. There was too much to do. They couldn’t waste time sitting here.

“I have to get ready to leave tomorrow.”

L stood too, knowing that Near had a lot to take care of before he left. He looked at Near briefly, as if contemplating giving him a hug or some other affectionate gesture. In the end, he just left. 

Near knew how he felt.

He wasn't quite sure how to say goodbye his brother properly.

༺──────────────༻

Near stepped out onto the platform of the train station. His luggage was already on board and the train would be leaving soon. L and Light had said their farewells to him at the castle, both of them sending him off in private with rib-crushing hugs. Near had been surprised at the gesture, but grateful for it. 

He hoped he had hid his sadness as well as they had.

The station was empty, the few people milling about taking notice of him and waving eagerly. He put on a fake smile that he used when at public events and waved back kindly. He liked the people of Shauso, sure, but smiles never came to him naturally. 

"Your Royal Highness?" A young lady stood in front of him nervously. She inclined her head respectfully. "My name is Linda. I'll be your new personal attendant." Near had also said goodbye to Gevanni at the castle. The man had served him well, but he couldn't take him with. He knew he would be assigned an Albevan for his new attendant. 

"I see," Near said calmly, observing his new Beta. "Are we boarding now?" 

She seemed like a friendly person, possibly overbearingly so, judging by her demeanor. He felt it was wrong to assume things about people based on their nationality, but for some reason Near’s brain supplied the fact that she was Albevan and not rude or condescending was odd. 

He pushed the thought away. Her job was to aid him. She wasn’t in a position to talk down to him and not be fired for it.

"Yes, sir." He passed by Linda, who followed him onto the train an acceptable distance behind. He was directed to the train car with chairs and tables. Other people, likely more Albevan staff members of the castle, filled into the car. He settled onto a chair and allowed Linda to sit opposite of him. She started to pull out papers from a small bag.

She seemed normal enough. She wasn’t immediately patronizing to him either, which pleased Near. He hated when people treated him like a child. 

"I assume I have no responsibilities to attend to on the train." Linda looked up from the papers she was rustling through. 

"No, you don't. Off the train is a different story." She pulled a paper out of the stack. A schedule. "After you arrive at the castle, there will be a council meeting and you'll meet some of the members of His Majesty’s court. After will be a meeting with the wedding committee. Then you will eat dinner in your private chambers. And the last thing of the day is a meeting with Prince Mihael. You will have several meetings with him over the next three weeks to become acquainted before the wedding."

Near picked up the schedule, looking it over. It sounded exhausting. He was used to being busy though. This certainly wasn’t the worst he’d ever been faced with, but meeting people was just tiring to him. 

"Should I know anything important before I meet everyone?" Near was still looking at the schedule. He had the basics of what he needed to know from his reading, but he wanted to hear it from someone who knew it firsthand. Any advice was valuable.

"Don't talk unless someone speaks to you directly," Linda suggested wryly. Near glanced up at her slight smirk, unamused.

"Is that a joke or genuine advice?" He knew it was something he should do, but she made it sound like it was somewhat humorous. He didn’t understand why.

"Both," Linda answered. "You'll get into trouble if you do. And on everyone's bad side. Around the King and his advisors, it's better to keep your mouth shut. It’s just something all of us workers are used to.”

"And do you keep your mouth shut?" Near asked blankly. 

"At the castle I do." Linda leaned forward conspiratorially. "The King will also be looking for any chance to berate you because you're an Omega. You should try to stay away from him.”

"And you're on my side?" 

"In a way. My boyfriend is tolerated, but His Majesty dislikes him. So the King isn’t really my favorite person. I'm not trying to start a coup here, but if I can do anything that goes against him, I'd love to. I’ll tell you anything you want to know." 

"What is Mihael like?" 

Near was hoping to get a better picture of the man. There wasn’t much he found out about him in Shauso, but Linda might have a better perspective as an employee of the castle.

"He's not as bad as you think. I’ve never really spoken to him, but my boyfriend is pretty close with him. He thinks the prince is the greatest guy, but I don’t know how true that is.” 

“Are you certain he’s not that bad?” Near asked, not believing it for a second. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. 

“Like I said, I only know what I’ve been told. It’s kind of how it goes around here, Your Royal Highness.” Linda gave him a meaningful look. Another staff member came up and whispered in her ear briefly. She stood, bowing her head. “Unless there’s anything else you want to know, I’ll leave you be.”

“You may leave.” She nodded and walked away. 

He stared out the window, watching his home country rapidly pass by in a blur of green fields and forests. He wasn't going to be dramatic. He was sure he would be able to return every once in a while. Unfortunately, the emotional part of him clouded this logic and he felt an echo of melancholy in his chest.

The slow rocking of the train lulled him into sleep, head leaning against the back of his seat. After a few hours of dozing, Linda tapped his shoulder. She seemed uncomfortable waking him and everyone else had left the car. It was dark out the window.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He wanted to watch every last bit of his country pass by. The thought annoyed him and he berated himself for being sentimental about this. Besides, sleep was more important for tomorrow’s plans. He needed to be sharp. 

"Sorry to wake you up, Your Royal Higness. Did you want dinner?" Near nodded and stretched. 

"How far away are we now?"

"Twelve hours," Linda said, waving in a servant with a tray of food. "I can show you to where you'll sleep on the train after you eat." 

Near ate his food quickly. He wanted to sleep again, before he had to face a whole crop of new people. Getting rest was beneficial and it meant his mind would stop running in circles about his future.

But when Linda left him in his private car on the train, he found that he couldn’t go back to sleep despite the comfy bed he laid in. Instead, he watched as the darkness passed by outside, his thoughts stuck on tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Linda’s here now. I think she’s an interesting character to write because her personality isn’t really shown much, so there’s a lot up for interpretation. I’ve read some very different ways people have written her, so I thought I’d include her. 
> 
> The next chapter should be up a little quicker this time. Mello and Matt will show up next time!


	3. Disapproval

Mello stared into the mirror, straightening his shirt. He frowned as he tried to smooth a wrinkle that had appeared. Normally he wouldn’t bother, but today was not a good day to have a single hair out of place.

"Worried?" Matt asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Mello frowned at him in the mirror, shrugging off the hand and pulling on his uniform jacket. He wouldn’t wear it on a normal day, but his father had sent a note ordering him to dress his best.

"I'm not worried.”

“Bullshit. You totally are. It’s okay, I would be too if I had to meet the person I was getting married to.”

“Then why the fuck did you ask if you already knew?”

“I was asking in case you wanted to talk about it.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You and I both know that isn’t true.”

“I’m not worried about it. I’m not losing sleep over this, Matt.”

“I know, I know. But today _is_ kind of a big day.”

“I think you’re just saying that because your girlfriend’s coming home.”

“Maybe I am. I missed her.”

“She was only gone for a few days.”

“I’m allowed to miss my girlfriend when she’s gone,” Matt pouted, lightly punching Mello’s arm. Then he grinned and his tone turned teasing. “Maybe you’ll understand when you get married.”

“Doubtful,” Mello muttered. “Come on. I need to get to breakfast.”

Matt trailed behind him on his way to the main dining room of the castle. The large room was empty other than his father, already sitting and eating his food. Matt stayed at the door, as was his place. Mello walked into the take his seat at his father's right hand. 

"You're late." His father scowled, tapping his fork. A servant set a full plate in front of Mello. 

"I was late by one minute." 

"Late is still late, no matter how little it was by, Mihael." His father stared him down. "You had better not be tardy to anything for the rest of the day. Especially not the council meeting.”

Mello didn't argue or respond. He was rarely late to anything, but Odell would act as if it happened all the time on the occasions that he was. But there was no use in debating the matter. He knew better. His father would've simply sent him away and refused to let him eat. 

"You ought to have tried to cover that scar up," the King said after a moment of quiet. "Make a good first impression on the Omega. You might frighten him."

"It's too late now," Mello muttered. He had no interest in covering his burn scar, a reminder of the accident a few years ago. He doubted that Prince Nate would be frightened. The dossier that he had been given on his betrothed had told him the boy was young, but very intelligent. He also wasn't stupid enough to believe the crap his father did about Omegas. 

"You could during dinner, before your meeting with him," his father suggested. "You would look better." Mello ate, ignoring his father’s insult. His father had this conversation with him near daily. _“Cover youself up. Hide your face, it's awful. You'll scare someone.”_

He recalled his father’s reaction once when he pulled up his hair for the day, showing more of his scar. Odell had voiced how much he disliked it nonstop. Mello felt as if that was the only emotion his father was able to feel towards him. Dislike, for his only son. 

"I won't be covering it. He’ll see it at the council meeting. If he really is frightened by it, he will have to learn to deal with it." Odell grumbled at him, but didn't argue either. A small victory. 

“Fine. You’ll be the one dealing with the bitch anyway. As long as he doesn’t come crying to me about it.”

If he could keep his father content enough, it was worth it.

༺──────────────༻

Matt was helping Mello pick through Nate's dossier again before the council meeting. There were no pictures of him. The information was pretty sparse.

"I still can't believe you're marrying someone who's only 19 years old," Matt commented. Mello snarled and snatched the paper from Matt.

"Do you not get that it's not my fucking choice?" Mello was only two years older anyway.

"I know it's not a choice," the other Alpha said placatingly. "Just that it's surprising his family would have him marry so young."

Matt never had to consider the possibility of an arranged marriage. He was the sixth son of a viscount, and his father gave him no attention whatsoever. It hurt Matt to be ignored, but it gave him freedom too.

Mello had only met Matt when they were around ten years old, having their first sword fighting lessons together with a group of other boys. He’d decided to pick out Matt to be his friend. He saw the younger boy was struggling with his sword technique and decided take him under his wing. He thought Matt could use his excellent tutelage.

Mello had quickly realized that Matt struggled with a lot of things, but was easily taught and quick to learn. Matt’s father simply had never cared enough to get him any tutors or lessons. Mello had taught him to shoot a gun, to fight without a weapon, and also other more intellectual things like geography and history. 

They'd become best friends, but as they got older the only way Matt was able to stick around was to become his personal attendant. Mello's dad often complained about how lowly he thought Matt was, but he also begrudgingly admitted that he was good at his job. Matt was forever grateful for Mello's help, so he was glad to stick around no matter how badly Odell talked about him.

"There were no other options to marry off though, right?" Matt asked. Mello knew he probably didn't know much about Shauso's royal family. Even he didn’t.

"I don't think so," Mello said slowly. "Not that it matters. Father wouldn't have allowed anything other than the best option. An heirless king's younger brother is strategic."

"Strategic," Matt snorted. "Who gives a fuck about strategic? Do you think he'll be cute?" Mello smacked Matt's leg and Matt just laughed at him.

"It doesn't matter if he's cute. And you have a girlfriend."

"I'm not going to steal him. I’m more than happy with Linda," Matt said. "I just wanted to know if you'd thought about his looks at all." 

"No. Like I said, it doesn’t matter what he looks like. It’s an arranged marriage, Matt.”

“Arranged marriage doesn’t mean there isn’t potential for romance, Mello.”

“Fuck you.”

“You’ll need to better pick-up lines than that if you really want to win him over.”

“I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t shut up.”

“You know you wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Dare me.”

“No, I don’t think I will. But seriously, do you think that you’ll like him?”

“Romantically, I don’t know,” Mello admitted. He looked back down at the dossier. “At the very least, he’ll be smart. Worthwhile to talk to.”

“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. You guys could really get it on, being all smart and princely and whatnot.” 

"I think you’re looking at this too optimistically, especially when you know what I’ve got to do. We’ll see what happens," Mello said gruffly.

He shuffled through the papers again. He’d been disappointed with the lack of information on Nate. He’d hoped for at least one picture too, so he could get a glimpse of his future spouse before today. He wanted to be prepared for anything, but the report on the Prince of Shauso was a letdown, to say the least. 

He set the papers down and sighed. "Let's go to the meeting early. I don't want my dad to give me shit again."

༺──────────────༻

Mello was once again seated at his father's right. Well, for now just at the right of his father’s throne, with Matt standing behind him. He had arrived before everyone else, but the council was now slowly filing in. Odell always waited for the council to completely fill before he made his entrance. Mello got to wait and watch everyone as they waltzed in, chatting and laughing with each other.

Mello knew Prince Nate would be introduced in at the beginning of the meeting, but his eyes still wandered, searching for him. Next to him was an empty seat that Nate would take when he arrived. He was curious about the prince, despite what he’d told Matt. 

The rest of the council was familiar, so he would know if the boy walked in. These faces had been taught to him over and over again in lessons, who was who and why they were important. It wasn't easy, and Mello felt slightly bad for Nate. He would have to learn who everyone was. 

The last of the council trickled in and took their seats. The council meetings took place in a grand hall. At the end was the raised platform on which the royal family sat. The rest of the members were in seats that created a half circle around the end of the room. 

The chatter throughout the hall echoed, but immediately silenced when his father entered. The only sound was that of the people standing up.

“His Majesty, the King!” Everyone respectfully bowed or curtsied as his father walked in from the door behind the platform. He waited for Odell to sit before he did, watching as the rest of the hall followed suit behind him.

The room was quiet as they all waited for the King to speak. Mello knew this was one of his father's favorite games. To keep everyone wondering what kind of mood he was in and what he would do. If he would be benevolent and generous or furious and destructive. Some days he would give someone praise for their ideas. Other days they might get punished.

It was unusual for him to do it today though. They had a guest.

After another minute of tense silence, King Odell boomed, "today, we welcome an honored ally of Albeva who will soon be a part of our family and our nation. Nate, Prince of Shauso!"

Mello watched as a pale figure entered the hall. Linda, Matt's girlfriend, obediently trailed behind him. Mello felt disappointment welling up. He knew Matt would probably be smug if he could turn and look at him.

He found the boy distracting and attractive. He was small and wasn't very elegant, but the long lashes, white curls, and wide, calculating eyes had caught his attention. Mello shook the thoughts away. Getting distracted by a pretty Omega was useless and foolish. He needed to keep a clear head. 

The boy bowed before his father and then moved to his seat next to Mello. Their eyes briefly met and something flickered in Nate's eyes, but disappeared quickly. Mello could still feel Nate’s eyes blankly staring at him even though he couldn’t see his face anymore. 

Nate’s prescence alone felt like it was invading his space. He could barely smell the Omega with the distance they were at, but the Alpha in him latched onto the faint scent. Mello relied on instincts a lot, but he’d never had his head turned like this. He felt a pit of dread in his gut.

This new distraction wouldn't bode well for Mello's plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Mello and Matt have entered the story. I promise that their dialogue won’t be all banter, but this chapter was originally much shorter and I wanted to add a little more conversation between the two. As I wrote, it just evolved into Matt teasing Mello about the marriage, but I left it in.
> 
> Oh, I did forget to mention last time that we would be seeing a little more of Mello’s dad. A+ parent there, as you can see...
> 
> Next chapter will probably be up tomorrow! Most of the focus will be on Near again, but he and Mello will interact a little more. Another new background character will be introduced too.


	4. Struggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My #1 talent is posting new chapters at 1am. This one was a difficult one for me to write and edit (for no particular reason), so I hope you enjoy it.

Near was bored. The meetings he attended back home were just as dull. Old people arguing about land ownership and taxes and other dull things. These people were more cruel though. They jabbed at each other more aggressively and berated each other. King Odell obviously enjoyed the viciousness with which they insulted one another. Probably because he knew he would never fall victim to it. 

Near paid no mind to it. He was more interested in the older boy beside him. Other than when they'd first traded glances, Mihael hadn't looked at him at all. He had expected some sort of communication, or even a small glance. But Mihael kept his eyes firmly on the men debating in the hall. Almost too firmly. And he was clutching the arms of his chair quite tightly. 

So maybe he was actively avoiding looking at Near?

Near couldn't fathom why. They would be married in three weeks. Maybe he just didn't think Near was worthy of his attention because of his status as an Omega. That or he was just unused to an Omega’s prescence and was struggling with it. Either way, this wasn’t quite the reaction he’d expected. 

Near had been focused on observing Mihael, but his attention snapped back to the King when he spoke.

"That concludes the council meeting for today," King Odell said. He rose to his feet. Everyone, including Near, followed him. The entire council bowed and slowly left the chamber. He looked back to Linda, who signaled for him to wait. 

Odell stalled until the hall was empty before speaking.

"You had better behave yourself at the meeting for the wedding," he ordered, staring directly at Near. It was a rude statement and the man was clearly hellbent on dominating all in the room, judging by the sudden demanding pheromones assaulting his nose. He stopped himself from making a face at the unwanted smell.

Linda's warning echoed in his head. He couldn’t talk back. He remembered some of the older men at the court in Shauso were best dealt with by acting like a stereotypical Omega, something that Light had actually taught him. Alphas often soaked it up without question. Hopefully it would work here too. He tilted his head submissively and fluttered his lashes innocently.

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said as sweetly as he could. Light had always been better at it, but he’d taught Near well enough to be believable. The King narrowed his eyes, but looked satisfied enough with the response and turned his attention to his son. Mihael still wasn’t looking at Near, but he wasn’t looking at his father either.

"Mihael, you had better leave before you're late again.” 

"I don't have to be anywhere for another thirty minutes," Mihael responded, gritting his teeth. Near watched how tense Mihael became under his father’s scrutiny. L had warned him there was something going on. It didn’t surprise him that Odell was an overbearing father, but Mello also seemed aggressive towards his dad in return. He’d need more information on the situation before he could make an accurate conclusion. 

"And you'll still find an excuse to be late. You both may leave." Mihael left first, his redheaded personal attendant following behind. Near followed a moment later, trailing after. The duo ahead of him turned to the right. He and Linda turned to the left. He resisted the urge to look back at Mihael.

Things seemed more tense between father and son than L had described. And he still had no clue why his fiancé wouldn’t look at him. 

“Prince Mihael doesn't seem to like me very much," Near commented to Linda. He wanted to hear what her thoughts were.

"He doesn’t really like most people, I think,” Linda responded flippantly. They had passed by the room where the meeting for the wedding would take place earlier. Near had easily memorized the route. He would need to do his best to remember the way around his new home.

Chatter came to a stop as he walked into the room that was set with a long table and chairs surrounding it. The chair to the left of the head of the table was empty. He assumed it was his, but he didn’t go to it quite yet. Everyone stared at him. He stared back expectantly.

"It is customary to stand for princes here, is it not?" Near asked them all, feigning slight innocent curiosity. All of them reluctantly rose. He walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Everyone followed suit quietly. 

"We were just discussing the outfits for the wedding, Your Royal Highness," the man at the head of the table said. Obviously he was the chairman of the committee. He had a commanding presence and was an Alpha. Near thought the man reminded him of the king. They both were intimidating, large men with severe faces and blond hair. Near hoped he wasn’t similar to the king in personality too.

"The outfits," Near said flatly. "I'm needed for this?" Surely they didn't need him to decide on things like flowers and outfits and other insignificant things. He’d rather be doing anything else.

"King Odell said that you should help decide these things." The others in the room looked surprised at his protest, but the head of the committee didn’t. "He thought you might like to help. Not to mention, most of the more important things have been planned already." Linda gave a small cough behind him. 

"I apologize," Near murmured. He hoped the man wouldn't report his irritation to the King. For now, he had to act as if he was obedient, content to be little more than a trophy. It was difficult to get used to. He redirected the conversation. "I also assumed you might educate me on Albevan traditions for weddings."

"It won't be necessary for this meeting, but I can inform you more later. We're mainly just looking to approve the outfits right now. The photos with the outfit concepts are in front of everyone. These have already been made and modeled, so all that needs to be done are fittings." Near picked up the stack of pictures. 

The first few were military-style uniforms of black with sashes of gold and red. The top of the photos were labeled with Mihael's name. The choices were unsurprising to Near. During his brief study of Albeva, he had noticed the kings and princes were almost always in military-like dress uniforms at all special events. Suitable, for a military nation. While everyone else in the room squabbled over which of them looked the best, he moved onto the ideas for his own. He wanted to wrinkle his nose, but didn't in case someone noticed.

They were awful. He didn't particularly care for fashion, but most of them were disgustingly gaudy. White with gold and _glitter_. Near shuffled through them. The least insulting was one similar to traditional celebration garb he wore back home. 

The style of clothing in Albeva was similar to that in Shauso for the most part, likely due to them being neighbors and fashion trends crossing the borders. But their ceremonial outfits were very different. Albeva’s were all military-esque uniforms, severe lines and sharp edges. Shauso’s was much more graceful and free, with loose pants and long tunics with flowing sleeves. Usually there was a little regalia with his ceremonial outfits. 

The design in front of him was more flashy with intricate golden details, but it was the most simple design. It was also the least feminine and least glittery out of all of his options. And by far the least insulting one.

He stared down at the picture, the hum of conversation lulling his mind into a state of hearing, but not truly listening. His mind raced with other thoughts about the wedding. Questions he needed answered.

"Your Royal Higness? Your opinion?" The man next to him slid two pictures towards him of Mihael's suit, forcing his mind away from his thoughts. The only difference was one had brass buttons on the jacket and one did not. He silently wished that he would never have to sit through a meeting like this again. It had taken nearly forty five minutes for them to decide on those two choices.

"The one without the buttons," he answered. He didn't really care. Fashion was never a concern of his. The tailors had always done a good job picking out his wardrobe for him. He never bothered himself with it. 

"Very well." The chairman moved on to Near's outfits. "Now, these two were particularly popular in our original choices." He pulled out two of the awful ones. Everyone else nodded and agreed. Near thought he saw the man grimace.

Odd.

"I prefer this one. I assume my opinion takes precedence in this case." He slid his pick over. The chairman picked it up.

"This one?" He studied the picture. "It's a very… basic outfit." 

"I prefer my clothes to be simple," Near said. "I know that it might not be traditional here." Everyone stared at him for a second time. The man awkwardly set down the paper.

"Any objections?" No one else spoke. The chairman gathered up his papers. "Very well. Send the choices to the tailors and make appointments for the princes. The sooner the better. " He signed and handed off the two choices to a servant.

"We will meet again in two days to square away any other business. After that, our meetings will be held at the cathedral so we can oversee the decorating and plans there." Near watched as everyone else took the chairman’s cue to leave and scurried out. He folded his hands in his lap.

"How traditional is the wedding?" Near asked demurely. He had stayed behind to get a better read on this man. He was certainly no expert on body language, but the Alpha had given clear signs that he didn’t necessarily follow Albeva’s traditions. He figured he could learn about what to actually expect on his wedding day simultaneously. 

"It'll be a normal procession," the man sighed. "Everyone will arrive and be seated. Prince Mihael will arrive. Mail Jeevas, his best man, will follow. Then the rest of the wedding party. Your cousins were mainly selected for your half of the groomsmen and bridesmaids. They and Mihael's half of the party will follow. Several younger girls from both of your extended families were chosen as flower girls, and they go next. Then the ring bearer. You and King L will be the last ones in. The ceremony itself will be practiced, so you won’t have to worry about it until a few days before. After, you and Mihael will lead the recessional." 

"How difficult would it be for me to have that changed?"

"What did you have in mind? I have the final say in everything, as head of the committee. Well, other than the King, of course." The man didn't seem as reluctant now that the others were gone. Near was intrigued. Almost every Alpha he had met so far had been dismissive of him, except for this one. 

"I would prefer it if I could walk down the aisle with Mihael. That’s how we do it in Shauso.” The man blinked at him. He wasn’t certain the man believed him, but it wasn’t a lie.

Male Omegas had often stereotyped as soft and feminine, but the movement for Omegas in Shauso over the years had outdated and attempted to destroy those stereotypes. As a result, wedding traditions for the procession had been changed for male Omegas over time. Eventually, most females (regardless of dynamic) followed suit too and it became the norm for couples to walk together down the aisle. Of course, some people still stuck with the older traditions too, which wasn’t frowned upon as long as both parties were alright with it. 

Near was aware that it wasn’t the case in Albeva at all, but he hoped they might show some respect for his wishes. He didn’t necessarily hate the idea of having his brother walk him down the aisle, but he wanted to see how far he could push the Albevans into letting him be on equal footing with their Alpha prince.

“Very well. With you two leading, or you two being the last ones in?”

“Last ones in. The wedding party is fine coming in before us.”

“Very well. I don’t see an issue with it. The King probably won’t argue it either, since most of the wedding is following Albevan traditions.” He was pleasantly surprised at how easily it was changed. This man didn’t buy into the beliefs most Albevans did, it seemed. 

“Good. What else is there?” 

"The reception will be held at one of the halls here. You will be expected to dance with Prince Mihael there at least once, but probably more."

"Will we practice together beforehand? I'm afraid I'm not a very elegant dance partner and we don't do much dancing in Shauso."

"Yes. Next week, I think."

"Is there anything else that is expected of me?"

"After the wedding, yes." The man paused to give Near a look. "I understand in Shauso it isn't tradition, but here you will have to consummate the marriage after the reception."

Near ignored the feeling of fear welling up in him and pretended he wasn't daunted by it, keeping a blank face. He had three short weeks to get to know Mihael and then would have to... 

He had thought he would have more time. Consummation wasn’t required on the wedding night in Shauso. It hadn’t been mentioned in any books he’d read about Albeva and L hadn’t mentioned it either. 

"Thank you for the information," Near said abruptly, standing up. He needed to leave. He didn’t want to think about the wedding anymore and he had learned what he wanted about the chairman. Remaining calm was important, but he needed to process this new information first. The older man rose too and bowed his head.

"Of course," he said. "If you should need anything else, you can always ask." Near walked away quickly. He had to go to dinner and then he would be facing Mihael. He wasn't ready at all. He needed to compose himself.

"Anthony Carter would be a valuable ally." He was quickly getting used to Linda's helpful advice. He had thought she would grate on his nerves with how bubbly she was sometimes, but she was becoming more of a comfort by the second. Especially because she was good at distracting him from his own swirling thoughts.

"In what sense?" He allowed her to link her arm into his so she could lead him to dinner and talk quietly to him.

"He had an Omega daughter. It has been a long time since it happened, nearly fifteen years I think, but she was constantly abused by other sons and daughters of nobility for speaking out. What they were doing was hidden well, but eventually they beat her to death." Linda's gaze narrowed. "He headed a task force for the King to protect Omegas from stuff like that. Out of all the nobles, he would be your best bet for being treated equally."

"That's awful," Near said. Linda sighed and squeezed his arm. 

"It has gotten better since with the physical abuse, but Omegas are still relatively silenced." Neither of them said the truth. The abuse probably hadn’t gotten that better. People just got better at hiding it. Nobody would know if the Omegas couldn’t speak out against the abusers.

"Do you think Prince Mihael will be willing to change it?" 

"I honestly don't know. There’s a good chunk of younger nobility that secretly want change, but I don’t know if Mihael had been influenced by them. I've only directly spoken to him once before." Linda released his arm as they entered a small dining room. They sat across from each other. Food was set in front of them. Neither of them spoke until the servants had left the room. 

Now was not the time to be overheard.

"Is he violent?" Near had no issues defending himself verbally, but physically would be different. As long as the man didn't go for his face, any marks or bruises could probably be hidden and he could get away with abuse. 

He hoped dearly that the Alpha wouldn't be _that_ explosive. In the brief time he'd managed to study him at the meeting, he could see that Mihael was lean, but had defined muscles. Linda had also informed him that he was a talented swordsman and was known well to the castle for his physical prowess.

And for himself, there was no one to turn to in the castle that could defy the Prince. The only other powerful person in the castle was the King, who would probably applaud his son for punishing him properly. 

All of it made his outlook increasingly grim.

"Violent?" Linda tapped her chin. "Again, I don't know. He hasn't been known to hurt anyone other than in training when he's supposed to." 

"No, I guess not." Near reasoned, "no one would outwardly give themselves a reputation like that, especially not a prince. He doesn't spend much time in the company of Omegas, does he?"

"No. I don't remember the last time I ever saw an Omega near him." Near enjoyed Linda's honesty. She wasn't trying to sugarcoat and make him feel better. He had decided that she indeed was a valuable ally to have and good company in general. 

"So, he might be a little more reactive to me. Not being used to an Omega's presence may be an advantage." 

"Perhaps." She ate a bite of food before continuing. "Most of what I know of him is from my boyfriend. And they've known each other for a long time now, so he might not be as receptive to you as Matt makes him out to be."

"Matt?" Near asked. "Who is he anyway? Other than your boyfriend, I mean."

"Uh, he's Mihael's personal attendant." Linda set down her fork. "The redhead that was with him today."

"I thought his name was Mail," Near mumbled. He had read some of the files on people who were of relative importance here and Mihael’s attendant had been included in that pile. 

"It is," Linda reassured. "He doesn't like it much. Matt is his nickname. It’s okay if you call him that, he’d prefer it."

"And he's known Prince Mihael for a long time?"

"Since they were like ten or eleven."

“So then all of Matt’s information will be skewed in favor of Mihael. They’ve been friends for too long for him to make an unbiased judgement.”

“Not necessarily. Maybe he actually isn’t that bad!” Near had a feeling that Linda was very wrong.

It didn’t take very long for him to find out

༺──────────────༻

Near felt a bit nervous to finally speak with his fiancé, but didn’t show it. He refused to exhibit any weakness. He didn’t know what this man was like and whether or not he was trustworthy.

So, when he walked in, he made sure to keep his chin up and his face blank. He couldn’t lose his composure.

"Hello," Near greeted, bowing his head. Mihael didn't say anything, but inclined his head in return. Near settled into a plush chair while Mihael lounged on the couch across from him. 

They sat in silence for a moment, neither making a move. Near didn’t like the way Mihael looked at him, with narrowed, intense eyes. It reminded him of Odell’s gaze in the throne room earlier. He felt as if a predator was stalking him. He didn’t intend to be prey. He hoped that maybe talking would ease things.

"It's nice to formally meet you, I suppose," Near said calmly.

"You suppose?" Mihael sneered at him. Near blinked slowly and reached up to twirl his hair. The outright contempt was making him nervous. He forced himself to lower his hand back into his lap. _Don’t lose your composure here, not in front of him._

"Have I done something to make you upset?" Near asked, trying to avoid sounding rude to the older man. He really didn’t think he did anything to cause this sort of anger. 

"Of course not," Mihael said sarcastically. "I have to marry you and I don’t have a say in the matter. Why would I be angry?" Near felt cold anger rising in his gut but forced himself to stay calm and collected. 

"Oh, and I have it so easy? I have to marry someone I don't know too. Furthermore, I had to leave my home permanently." Near watched Mihael coolly, waiting for a response. The man glared back.

"I didn't say you didn't have it rough," Mihael hissed. "But you shouldn't expect me to like you.”

"You haven't even given me a chance." Near huffed, feeling frustrated. "You've just decided to hate me without getting to know me.”

"It doesn't matter if I give you a chance," Mihael growled. "We'll still have to marry in three weeks."

Near felt himself getting agitated and took several more deep breaths. This was going terrible. He would have to spend the rest of his life with this bitter, angry man. 

He wasn't even going to bother to give Near a chance? It was insulting, to say the least. Near knew he was a highly intelligent individual. If Mihael bothered to _try_ , he might be able to see how valuable Near could be. Near knew that Albevans didn't think much of Omegas, but his intellectual abilities could be of great use here. 

Apparently they would be wasted instead. 

However, his frustration was placed by the same fear he’d felt earlier today. He remembered what he would have to do on his wedding night.

A singular thought overtook the rest. _I will not survive it unscathed._

If this is how Mihael acted to him now, insulting and demeaning, then surely…

He took a deep breath and forced all the thoughts away. 

He had to be calm.

All he could do now was pretend that everything was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, they’ve met face to face. If Mello’s behavior seems a little out of the blue, don’t worry... You’ll just have to wait to find out why he’s being a dick to Near ;)
> 
> On another note, I put Rester in the story because he’s just another random character I like from Death Note. Originally he wasn’t going to be a part of the story at all actually. Then I added him in and gave him a bit of sad backstory... so yeah. 
> 
> This particular chapter was difficult for me to write, especially with the wedding traditions and all the dialogue. The fun part about fictional countries is that I can throw whatever I want in them, but I chose to stick more to what I know because I’m newer to writing fanfic and I didn’t want to go crazy with it. 
> 
> Not sure when the next chapter will be up this time, but I’ll say at least within a week (but probably quicker). It’ll be mostly Near’s pov with a short little Matt pov to explain stuff in the middle just to spice it up, I guess. 
> 
> By the way, this is my first genuine attempt at a fanfic with an actual plot, so let me know how I’m doing! Or just any thoughts about the fic in general. I always try to respond to comments :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!


	5. Act

The second meeting had been just as disastrous as the first. Mihael had continued to be rude and insulting up until the end of the initial meeting. Near had tried a different tactic for the second. He had attempted to try his innocent, sensitive Omega charade. He’d hoped that maybe attempting to appeal to the Alpha’s instincts would work.

He had thought when he'd tried it in the throne room that the Prince had bought it like his father had. Apparently he just hadn't cared enough to call him out. When he had tried to do it this time, it made the Alpha furious. He had started to get louder and louder, raving on about how Near was being deceptive by acting dumb.

Near didn’t bother say anything, supposing the Alpha wasn’t necessarily wrong about that. The instinctual part of Near told him to apologize and submit. He didn't and tolerated Mihael‘s furious ranting. All he could do was keep an entirely still face, which only incensed Mihael further.

Near hadn’t bothered to say goodbye. When their time was up, he just left silently. 

If it had been anyone else, he’d have berated them for terrible behavior. But that would’ve probably been seen as backtalk and he would’ve been punished. 

"It sounds like everything's going well," Linda commented sarcastically when she escorted him back to his room at the end of his second meeting. 

"He's awful," Near snapped at her, immediately feeling guilty for doing so. It was not her fault. He took a deep breath and spoke again when he was calmed a little. "You told me he wasn't so bad."

"I told you, I only know what Matt had told me. And I haven't really been able to talk to him a lot recently, so I can’t question him about it."

"Why haven’t you been able to talk?" Near asked. They had reached his room, but the question was his invitation for her to come in and talk. He sat on the bed. She carefully sat next to him, closer than she probably should have. He didn't care. The Omega in him was searching for physical comfort after the ordeal with Mihael. He leaned against her slightly.

"We've both been busy with you two. With the wedding, we've both had extra on our plates. It's been hard to see each other… and it's been hard being apart." Linda leaned into him too, linking their arms. She sounded sad, a stark contrast from her normal bubbly tone. 

"I'm sorry," Near murmured, not sure what else to say. 

"It's fine," Linda sighed. "It's not your fault. I'm sure it all sounds dumb to you. You've been dragged from your home to marry someone who doesn't like you and live in a country you can't barely even speak in. My problems aren’t really that big.”

"I guess. Missing someone you care about is a reason to be upset. I have problems too, yes, but I don’t mind you telling me yours. And at least I have you to help me here."

"You'll have to thank Matt for that actually. I used to just be a secretary in a lesser department of the castle. He recommended me for the job and they took me."

"I'm glad he did."

"I'm glad he did, too." Linda said. "You’re kind of stand-offish at times, but I can tell you're more sweet than you let on."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Near sighed. Linda laughed lightly at him. 

He missed everyone from his home deeply, but he was also grateful he had gotten the chance to meet Linda. He hadn't really had any friends at home. 

He hoped Linda would consider him a friend too.

༺──────────────༻

  
Matt walked into the room where Mello was still sitting. He had heard the Prince from outside the room. He couldn’t quite make out what Mello was saying, but he could hear his raised voice. He knew that Linda would probably get upset with him, since he had told her that Mello wasn't so bad. She would understand eventually, but he couldn’t tell her what was really going on. 

The less people that knew, the better.

"You could stand to be less dramatic with the acting," he snickered. He stopped quickly when he realized Mello was sitting there, glaring at the ground, clearly not in a joking mood at all. 

"I hate this," Mello growled lowly. 

"It was your idea," Matt said, sitting next to Mello on the couch.

"If my father thinks that I have any attachment to him, he will use him against me." Mello sounded broken and detached. Matt knew he always got like this when it came to the King.

King Odell knew how to control his son well. Mello stayed in line most of the time now, but before he’d learned to obey his father, Matt had been the leverage. 

Matt had the scars to prove that the King was willing to do anything for absolute control, even over his son. Well, the scars and the haunting memories of pain and blood.

Even before Mello had laid eyes on Prince Nate, he had already planned on pretending to despise him to protect him. If the King thought he didn’t care about the Omega, he wouldn’t bother using him for leverage. But it meant they had to keep this act up for a while.

Mello had to keep this charade up with Nate until the marriage at least. He wasn’t sure he could trust the Omega to keep quiet, so they had decided to wait until then to involve him if it seemed safe. By then they would have a good read on Nate and be able to properly decide if he would be able to keep anything from the King.

However, there were consequences. It was taking a toll on Mello to deliberately hurt the Omega's feelings. Nate just passing by Matt in the hallway, his distressed scent lingering, was enough to make the Alpha part of him want to protect. He supposed he also might've just been sensitive because Linda had also been giving off an unhappy scent and that alone was enough to put him on edge.

Not to mention, the whole thing made Mello look like an absolute asshole. Their plan wasn’t perfect, but they only had a few days to come up with it. They hadn’t known about the engagement until it was agreed upon at negotiations. 

It was their best bet for now. 

"We've already chosen this path, Mello." Matt leaned back against the couch. "But maybe you should apologize for today. It was overkill. You only have to pretend not to care. Hatred is a little strong.”

"I’ll apologize." Mello groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "This fucking blows.”

"I know, but it’s only three weeks," Matt said, thumping his friend's back to get him out of this sad stupor. He knew that Mello wasn't nearly as rough as people thought he was. At least once you got past the walls he put up.

He hoped Prince Nate would be able to get past those walls even after three weeks of Mello being a dick to him.

༺──────────────༻

Near wasn't sure what to expect after the whole yelling ordeal last time. He wouldn't let it show that anything affected him. He would be stone-faced and show no weakness.

In truth, he had sat there with Linda for several hours, calming himself down after the incident. Even when he was a kid, he’d been good at hiding his feelings in front of people. But when he was alone, he let his sensitivity get the best of him. Nobody had ever expected him to have real feelings, not even his parents. L had caught on, but he was terrible with comfort and often left him alone. Linda apparently had caught on too but she certainly hadn’t backed away from it. 

But he couldn’t focus on emotion now. There was no room for it here, in front of Mihael.

The door attendant walked into the room and bowed, repeating the same thing he had the past two days. "His Royal Highness, Prince Nate of Shauso." Near walked in, sitting in his usual chair. The door attendant left them to each other's company for a third time. Near said nothing, staring at Mihael blankly. He wasn’t sure if it would piss Mihael off but he didn’t really care about the Alpha’s mood right now.

"I apologize for my behavior last time," Mihael said. "It was inappropriate and I’m sorry if I caused you any distress." That was… unexpected. An apology? He assumed that he’d get another round of unwanted reprimanding for some other thing. 

"I accept your apology. Are you done being rude to me now?"

"I apologized for my behavior last time. That doesn't mean I suddenly like you." 

"Oh, I see." Near turned his head away. "So you still can't bother to even attempt to get to know me at all."

"I told you, there's no goddamn point," Mihael shot back. “You really don’t get it?”

"There's no point," Near repeated flatly. "You cannot be serious. _Our future_ is the point. All of Albeva will look to us for hope as the heads of state and we must act like a model couple to uphold a perfect image. And when we have kids, which we _will_ have to, do you expect it to be healthy for them to be raised by parents who won't even speak to each other?" 

Near felt the same cold anger in the pit of his stomach as before. He felt unbelievably hopeless in this situation. Mihael wasn’t being fair to him. He’d been prepared to be brushed aside for being an Omega but he suspected it had nothing to do with his dynamic since Mihael hadn’t mentioned it. This man was just being mean because he could be.

"I guess you wouldn't know anything about healthy parenting anyway, since you were raised by a father just as messed up as you are." He regretted the words as soon as they came out, but he was just so frustrated with Mihael. It was what he deserved.

It wasn't worth the trouble though. Angry Alpha pheromones permeated the air and Mihael looked ready to murder him. An involuntary whimper almost made its way out of Near's throat but he refused to let Mihael hear it. 

This was not the same anger yesterday when Mihael had yelled. This was true, genuine anger. 

Near had only felt this terrified of an Alpha once before. When he and L were faced with the assassin who murdered their parents, he'd been scared of his brother’s rage. Of course, he didn’t need to be afraid in that situation, but that fury bit at something instinctual in him.

It was deep, emotional, broken. Near had struck a nerve in Mihael and he wasn't sure what it was. His brain was not processing information correctly right now. It was focused on fear and finding a place to hide. 

"You better leave right now," Mihael snarled, looming over him. "Get the fuck out of here." Near obeyed for once, rushing to the door and flinging it open. Matt and Linda stood there, surprised. Near hurried over to Linda, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away. She called a goodbye to Matt over her shoulder. 

Near hurried back to his room with her in tow. In the background, he heard Linda asking what was wrong for minutes, but his mind was working too quickly. Now that he was out of the Alpha’s direct prescence, he could focus. 

What had he said?

Mihael didn't seem to like his father much, but he didn't think it ran deep enough for a visceral reaction like that. He hadn’t seen much of their interactions, but the people he had spoke with didn’t seem to think the relationship was that bad. 

No, maybe it was the children? That didn't make sense either. He would've known since he presented, or maybe even before, he would have to have heirs. And if he really didn't want them that much he could just have Near and some nannies raise the kids. 

Perhaps he really bought into beliefs about Omegas. Near had mentioned they'd have to be a model couple for the country. Maybe reminding him that an Omega would be his companion on the throne made him furious.

No, there was no reason for that to just randomly set him off now. None of it made sense. Mihael had said nothing about his dynamic and he would’ve if that was what was bothering him. Near would have to collect more information. 

He snapped back out of his mind and into reality when Linda had grabbed his shoulders and shook him. He realized he was in his bedroom. _When did I get here?_

"Near, what happened?" she shouted. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," he said automatically, knowing he'd worried her. "I was thinking."

"You smelled terrified when you came out of there. What's going on?" Linda was looking him up and down for an answer. He said nothing, but stepped forward and hugged her. He was unsure he should be hugging her since they didn’t know each other very well yet, but he needed comfort. She hugged back, squeezing him tightly.

He didn't understand what was happening. 

He needed to figure out what was happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Linda and Near are in the dark about everything, but now you know what’s going on. In a lot of fics, Near generally outsmarts Mello but it’s a little different here because he’s completely unfamiliar with Mello right now and also has to deal with new people, being in a foreign nation, and has to prepare for a wedding. Not to mention, he would have to pick up on social cues to really help him figure it out, which he isn’t... great at. 
> 
> Also there’s a little more about Matt/Linda. Actually, I was introduced to it because of another multi chapter meronia fic I absolutely love. It’s just an odd little ship that’s kinda cute. 
> 
> Next chapter will be a bit of Mello’s pov and then a time skip. It’s a bit of an in-between chapter, so it’s a shorter one. On the bright side, it means I’ll have it up quicker. 
> 
> I’m excited for the chapters following this next one, so I’m hoping to get them edited and out soon! Unfortunately this week is going to be busy for me, so I’m not sure how quickly I’ll be able to update. I’ll do my best! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you leave comments, I’ll do my best to respond to them ❤️


	6. Wondering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I won’t post new chapters at 1 am. Today is not that day. 
> 
> Enjoy reading! This one is kind of short chapter...

Mello sat in the private dining room they used when his father was especially irate with him and wanted to let him know. He was sadly stabbing his food and listening to his dad chew him out for his behavior.

A wave of dread had hit him when his head cleared and he wanted to chase after Nate to apologize again, this time properly. Matt had also admonished him for what he had done but relented slightly after Mello told him what Nate had said and understood.

It didn’t excuse his reaction though. The regret was still making his stomach churn and head hurt. He’d managed to fuck things up twice now. He needed to be more cautious with what he did. After the wedding, he would do whatever the Omega wanted to make this up. He’d never been cautious about other’s emotions that much, but he was aware that he needed to be with Near’s since they’d be married and have to spend the rest of their lives together. He didn’t want the Omega to hate him. 

He’d already decided to alter his tactics. He and Matt agreed that he needed to be more civil, but still cold enough. The King would still believe he disliked Nate and would think he was simply listening to his father’s orders to act proper to the younger man.

"I've decided to reduce the number of times you meet with him because of _both_ you and Near acting out. You will meet again in three days, on Sunday, only for dance lesson. Also Wednesday and Friday, still only for lessons. Then you will be allowed face-to-face meetings on the following Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. The wedding is that Saturday after. You only have to meet five more times. You should try to behave yourself better, Mihael." His father’s voice grated on his nerves.

It irked him that his father thought part of this was somehow Nate’s fault too. What the Omega said was harsh and it had hurt him deeply to be compared to Odell, but Mello had said worse to him and what he had done in response had been completely uncalled for. 

"I'm disappointed that you didn't hold your resolve and put the Omega in his place," his father rumbled. "I don't know what the little bitch said, but you should've punished him, not sent him away." 

Mello bristled slightly. Nate didn’t deserve punishment for speaking against Mello’s behavior. And to “punish” his future spouse was an outdated and frowned upon practice in the other countries Mello had studied. Albeva was behind the times and once Mello was able to take the throne, he would have to catch them up.

"Isolation is a form of discipline, father." Mello hoped that would satisfy him. He didn't want the King to take the punishment in his own hands.

"I suppose. Next time, be more harsh. I'm certain the guards would be glad to lend a whip to you, or you could use your knives or swords." Mello nodded silently, eating his food. Whipping was his father's favorite method. When Mello had been young, angry and unable to control himself, he had spoken out against his father multiple times. Odell put a stop to it by taking Matt outside and whipping him until he bled and Mello begged for him to stop, swearing to never do it again. 

Sometimes he wished Matt had refused to be his right hand man, so he wouldn’t be in danger. If his father ever thought he was out of line, he reminded Mello that Matt was still close by and an easy target. 

It was why he had to protect Nate. He already made his best friend suffer. He didn't want to see the Omega broken and beaten too. 

He only had two and a half weeks. He hoped Nate would understand why he did this when the time came.

༺──────────────༻

Near was frustrated. The past weeks had been… unhelpful when it came to figuring Mihael out.

His meetings with Mihael were limited. They hadn't spoken at the three dance lessons they'd attended for the wedding. Their instructor kept them on their feet the whole time and didn't allow them much time to talk. Or do anything but dance. He did have to admit, the man was good at his job. They were dancing elegantly together by the end of the third lesson. 

They'd met again for three more personal meetings, but he hadn't gotten any answers then, either. It felt like the prince had gotten a personality transplant. When they’d first met again, the Alpha had profusely apologized for his behavior and claimed that the stress of the wedding had gotten to him. He promised to never raise his voice again and apologized again. Near hadn’t believed it, but accepted the apology and told him that everything would be fine as long as he didn’t act like that again. 

Mihael had kept his word and hadn’t raised his voice. In fact, he was strangely more civil, but still distant and sometimes rude. He kept asking Near questions. Near had a feeling it was so he couldn't question Mihael again.

The man asked him about almost anything, from himself, his family, and his country. _What are your hobbies? Who’s all in your family? How long has your line been ruling Shauso? What’s the nobility like? What’s the lawmaking process there? Is your food different? What’s the biggest difference between Shauso and Albeva?_ He was certain that Mihael knew more about Shauso than he did about Albeva now. Every time Near asked him something, the Alpha redirected back to Near.

It almost felt like an interrogation sometimes. Mihael had clearly thought up the questions beforehand because he barely gave Near a chance to talk other than to answer them. Near had deduced that the man was hiding something because he wouldn’t let Near ask him anything at all. But he couldn’t fathom what. He’d run through all the possibilities in his head again, but nothing came up.

He had concluded that the Alpha’s behavior was certainly bizarre. He’d gone from aggressive to somewhat calm in only days. That had to mean one of them was an act or Mihael’s behavior was truly unpredictable. However, none of the staff he’d spoken with had seemed to think their prince was unpredictable. 

It was an act, but which one? He couldn’t think of a good reason that he would deliberately act so aggressively towards him. It was more likely that he’d been told to cool his temper and play nice with him anyway. 

One of the King’s advisors had actually sent along a note in apology for Mihael’s behavior, as well as a word of warning to him that Near may be disciplined for his own behavior next time. It was sent on Odell’s behalf, so he wasn’t very surprised. The King probably was furious he’d opened his mouth and spoke against Mello.

Near wished he could read people like Light was able to. He and L had never been as good as Light was. He would’ve been able to see through whichever was the lie. 

Near could only base his assumptions on fact. And he didn’t have much to go on. It was incredibly annoying to him. 

He had learned nothing and they would marry in two days.

The only bright side he could see right now is that L and Light would arrive at the castle today, and he would be allowed to speak with them privately. 

He had missed them both so much. And he hoped they might provide him some insight on his situation. 

He was waiting now, in the place he and Mihael had met each time. Near wasn't sitting down this time. He couldn't. He didn’t really know how to express his excitement other than pacing and twirling a curl around his finger rapidly.

The door opened. The attendant walked in.

"L, King of Shauso, and Light, King of Shauso." The two of them walked into the room, looking regal as always. Near watched them carefully, waiting for the attendant to leave. The door shut with a sort of finality when he did. An end to Near’s waiting, which had felt longer as the days drew closer to their arrival. 

Near rushed forward into their open arms. He had missed this, however rare their affection was back home. Their familiar faces and scents were comforting. Near felt himself relax, a feeling he hadn’t had in quite a while. 

This felt like home. He missed Shauso so much. He missed L and Light so much.

Eventually he reluctantly pulled himself away from the hug. Light left one hand on his arm, in some sort of gesture of comfort. L didn't meet his eyes. He was looking Near over, checking for any signs of harm. 

"I'm okay," he reassured L. His brother took his hand. The gentle look L gave Near would’ve irritated him three weeks ago, but now it just made him realize how much he had missed him.

"How has it been?" Light asked. "How awful is Prince Mihael?"

"Light," L hissed, elbowing him.

"No, it's fine." Near wrinkled his nose. "He's terrible. He's just as bad as his father." 

"What's he done?" L growled protectively. Near sighed and led them over to sit down. He explained Mihael's outbursts, and all the other nasty things he said. L was barely holding back his anger, but Near knew he should tell them everything right now. He had also been belittled for the past weeks, mostly by nobility. They treated him like a child here.

Not to mention, he had realized how terrifying this country truly was. He had attended many other council meetings here. The first week of meetings were just as dull and long as the original one had been. And then the second week, things took a turn. 

A baron had suggested moving some of the funds they used to keep the palace in perfect shape and use it to aid some of the struggling lower class. Near had thought the idea was a good one. The money he wanted to take out wasn’t enough to harm the state of the palace at all. He hadn’t voiced his support because he noticed how stormy King Odell had gotten. 

The King hadn’t liked the plan at all. He went on and on spouting about how it was necessary to keep their palace looking perfect as a message about the prosperity of the country. He had berated the baron for his idea. 

Then, he called the baron’s son forward. The young boy, maybe only sixteen, had knelt in front of the king, trembling. Near had begun to understood what was happening when the baron started to apologize and beg to the King. 

The boy had ended up being whipped by the guards Odell had called in. Near’s hands were shaking as he watched the boy bleed and groan on the floor. The baron was still begging the King to cease as his son was beaten and bloodied. 

Near met Anthony Carter’s eyes. The man looked like he was in pain and he wouldn’t look at the baron’s son. Near had been afraid to, but did so anyway. There was blood everywhere. The boy was just starting to cry, tears involuntarily forming in his eyes. 

He had been dragged away to the infirmary, whimpering in pain. The baron had apologized over and over again to the King as he and his wife left the hall, following to their son. 

King Odell was laughing and some of the council members nervously did too. Mihael did not. Near did not. 

Then, the meeting had continued like nothing had happened. The blood was left on the floor throughout the whole thing, the only reminder of what happened. It was gone the next day.

Near had asked Linda about it afterward. She told him that the show Odell had put on was his way of keeping people in line. She then informed him that if he spoke out of turn, he might get that treatment himself or she might be the one to get it, as his friend. 

He had made sure to never even talk in Odell’s prescence unless asked after that. He wasn’t willing to put Linda at risk, which he supposed was Odell’s goal with his “punishments”.

He had stayed silent throughout every other beating he witnessed the past weeks. They were gruesome and cruel. No one died, but the victims and their families always came back with dull eyes and heads ducked. Linda would always reassure him after that they just had to be careful and nothing would happen. 

L and Light were both glad to hear he had a friend in Linda at least. It was probably the only good thing he told them.

"So you have one ally," Light said flatly when he was done. "You have one ally in this castle and everyone else is against you or won't speak out against the Keehls."

"No," Near mused. "There's a noble I can rely on too. An earl, Anthony Carter."

Near had taken Linda's advice and spoken with the man several times. He had told Near about his daughter, about how bright and outspoken she was before her death. Near, in return, talked to him about discrimination he had faced in Albeva already. The members of the wedding committee had tried to silence him several times. He wasn't allowed to speak at any of the council meetings and most of the Alphas and Betas ignored him anyway. Anthony had been a great support when he could.

"Two, then?" L asked flatly. Near nodded. 

“It’s not so bad. Even though Anthony is an earl, he holds a lot of sway over the other nobles. Even the dukes and marquesses. He has quite a reputation. He can’t publicly side with me, but he has eased some of my suffering by convincing the nobles to go easier on me.”

“At least you have someone notable in the courts on your side.” Light tapped his chin, frowning. “You need all the help you can get. Especially if Prince Mihael does turn out to be abusive. The courts may sway against him if they get wind of it and they’ll believe it if someone held in high regard tells them.”

“If he is abusive, that is. He could be all bark and no bite. Light, you said yourself that he probably wasn’t stable with a father like that. He could just be acting out because of King Odell’s treatment of other people.” L didn’t sound very hopeful, but it was a possibility. Near sighed and spoke what they were all thinking.

“I suppose we’ll just have to find out. Only two days until the wedding.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter here, just sort of setting things up. The next update will either be Thursday, Friday, or Monday. I’m not sure which yet, it kind of depends on how busy I get and also my motivation to do it. Things are kind of difficult for me right now, but writing gets my mood up if I’m able to get myself to actually do it. 
> 
> Oh, and the next two chapters will be very fun. The next one is the wedding itself and the one following is the wedding night ;)
> 
> One other thing. I’m doing my best to write first drafts for multi chapter fics (all meronia) I want to do, but I don’t really know what to write or what people want to read. I don’t really have friends that are into Death Note, so it’s difficult to know if my ideas are any good or not. I have a vampire fic already partially done, and I want to do another abo fic or a high school au. If you have any thoughts in general about it (whether or not I should write them), I’d love to hear them. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! If you leave comments, I’ll do my best to respond! And I’ll do my best to get the next chapter out soon :)


	7. Celebration

Near blinked, just waking up, curling further into his sheets and blankets. It was so cold in his room. He had laid awake for hours last night, thinking about where he would be in exactly twenty four hours. The windows had been left open, letting in the cold morning breeze. 

“Good morning, Your Royal Highness. It’s seven in the morning right now. Breakfast is ready for you and your team will arrive to get you prepared for the wedding in half an hour.” Near shivered and resisted the urge to groan. 

“Close the windows, please.” He didn’t sit up until the servants had done so. He slipped a robe on and went to sit at his table for breakfast. 

The pit of dread in his stomach hadn’t left him since yesterday. It made it hard to swallow his eggs and toast. He hadn’t finished his food when a servant informed him he was to start getting ready. He left his plate half finished. 

The people that came in to get him ready weren't familiar to him. He only had two servants attended to him daily but neither were present. These new people tried unsuccessfully to tame his hair, which stubbornly curled no matter what they did. They eventually decided to work with the curls instead of fighting them. 

After that ordeal, they tugged him into his outfit. The material was light, which Near was thankful for. He didn’t like the feel of the golden detailing much. But the long, trailing sleeves were nice because he could play with them easily. He would need the distraction today. 

After the team had fussed over him once again, they sent him out to where Linda was waiting outside. She was already ready too, hair and makeup done, accenting her royal blue dress. 

“You look handsome,” she said, almost sounding proud. 

”Thanks,” Near responded, not sure if he should respond with a similar sentiment. “Where are we going?”

“Out to the entrance hall. You’ll enter the carriage with Mihael there. It’s where I’ll leave you.” They walked slowly down to the room just outside the entrance hall where everyone was lining up. 

The beginning of the procession, Matt and one of Near’s own cousins, were waiting near the door to head out. Linda gave Matt a small wave, to which Matt enthusiastically waved back. Near’s cousin did not look happy to be walking with him. 

Near and Linda slowly made their way down the line, Near stopping every so often to say hello to his extended family briefly. As he made his way towards the end, he saw Mihael waiting there for him. 

He didn’t think it was very fair that someone who hated him could be that attractive. Mihael’s uniform accented his form well and the dark colors brought out the bright blue of his eyes. Near averted his eyes and focused on his family. It was easy to ignore him until there was no one else to talk to. Linda left him at the end so she could get to the cathedral. 

“You look great.” 

Near had to do a double take when he heard that to make sure Mihael was talking to him. The older boy was smiling at him slightly. Even though he hadn’t been nasty the past two weeks, he hadn’t been particularly kind either. The compliment caught him off guard. The smile did too. In the past three weeks they’d seen each other, he’d never seen Mihael smile at all and most certainly not at him. 

“Thank you,” Near said carefully. “You look nice too.”

“Thanks.” They both stood there awkwardly, not sure what to say. Near was confused again. Was Mihael just acting nice to him or was it genuine? He really couldn’t tell. 

“Shall we?” 

Near looked up and realized the procession was moving. Mihael had offered his arm and Near took it, shuffling along with everyone else. Servants and guards lined the entrance hall, watching the wedding party pass by. He let his face fall into fake happiness, gracing everyone with a small smile. At the end of the hall was a gilded carriage, decorated with Albevan regalia. Mihael let him walk in first and then sat down next to him.

There was no top to the carriage so they could freely wave and smile at the people lining the street, cheering their names and waving flags. He glanced over to Mihael, who was smiling widely at his citizens. It seemed genuine, unlike the false smile Near had. 

There were people lined up all the way to the cathedral. The cathedral was huge and had windows of stained glass. The outside was blocked off to the public.

The rest of the procession was entering the building as they arrived. When it was finally their turn, Mihael helped him down from the carriage and they linked arms again, steadying themselves for the ceremony. The music inside got louder as they approached. 

Inside were even more people watching them like hawks. The beginning of the cathedral was filled with the marquesses, earls, barons, viscounts, and other wealthy important people from both Albeva and Shauso.

Near stared up at the men and women from Shauso and then to those of Albeva. Linda’s eyes caught his first and she offered a small wave. He met Anthony Carter’s gaze and the man gave a smile. He nodded at both of them and focused on the daunting part ahead. 

The dukes of both kingdoms were all seated just behind members of the royal families. Near recognized more of his extended family, and then saw L and Light standing at the front row as he walked in. He briefly smiled at them. They both smiled back, a rare sight for Near to see. 

His eyes briefly drifted over to the other side of the church. He noticed Odell, who wasn’t smiling and didn’t seem proud. He shifted his focus back to the officiant ahead of him. He and Mihael stopped in front of the man.

“We gather here today…” Near tried to focus on the officiant’s words, but it all felt like a scramble in his head. His movements were automatic, rehearsed to follow the officiant’s lines.

His hands were in Mihael’s and he felt bad because they were starting to get sweaty. He was incredibly nervous, waiting for his cue to start the vows.

Hearing Mihael begin his vows jolted him back into reality. 

“I, Mihael Keehl, take you, Nate Lawliet, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, to remain faithful to, until death do us part.”

The committee had agreed on generic vows for the wedding. The only exception was the part about remaining faithful. Near hadn’t minded the addition, though he was rather surprised by it. From what he had heard, most kings of the Keehl line had remained very much unfaithful. And that had been Mihael’s request. 

I, Nate Lawliet, take you, Mihael Keehl, as my…” The words came out of his mouth robotically. He stared into Mihael’s blue eyes as he said them. Their vows were the exact same, with the switch of their names being the only difference. He felt relief as he was able to finish them without stuttering or messing up. “...until death do us part.”

Everything after was a blur. There was a pretty, but simple golden ring on his finger and then Mihael had his on too before long. The officiant’s closing words didn’t feel real and he felt like he was watching himself walking arm in arm out of the cathedral with his new husband, rather than actually doing it himself. 

The crowds were screaming so loud now, clapping and shouting for them. Near felt his smile falter briefly at the loud sounds. He clutched Mihael’s arm a little tighter. Mihael looked down at him briefly and pulled him a bit closer. 

The carriage they went back to the castle in was more private. There was a top this time, so the people could only see them through the windows. 

“Are you okay?” Near looked over at Mihael. Concerned blue eyes were staring back at him. 

“I don’t understand you at all,” Near said instead of responding to the question. Mihael frowned. “You’ve disliked me for the past three weeks. I don’t get why you’re acting like this.”

The older man didn’t say anything for the rest of the trip. Near put on his small fake smile and waved out the window. Underneath the facade, he wanted to rip at his hair. He’d hoped for the Alpha to tell him something. Anything.

Frustration was his only constant with Mihael, apparently.

After being ushered back into the castle, they would have to stand for hours taking photos. L and Light were waiting there. Near quickly left Mihael’s side to say hello. They told him how proud they were and hugged him tightly. He beamed and then noticed Linda was present too. He dragged her over to finally meet them. 

Mihael stood next to his father. As Linda chatted with L and Light, Near watched the two men. Mihael had his father’s sharp features and blond hair, but Near noticed that his eyes weren’t very much like his father’s. They were the same cobalt blue, but Mihael’s looked tired and sad while Odell’s looked calculating and cruel.

Then Mihael looked over at him, forcing him to turn his gaze back upon his family.

After several grueling hours of pictures with family, they made their way to dinner and the reception in the grand hall. The hall was adorned with beautiful flowers and fancy white decorations.

Mihael had danced with Near first, both of them moving around the floor smoothly together as they had been taught. Near tried not to get distracted by Mello’s hand on his waist or the one in his own hand. He’d danced with his brother too and what felt like a million other people.

Linda had rescued him for a little bit, offering a drink and formally introducing him to Matt, who was clearly drunk off his ass and told him to have fun with Mihael tonight, punctuating it with a wink. 

She apologized profusely for what Matt said and dragged him away from the inebriated Alpha. They’d managed to chat for a little bit before another swarm of people asked for a dance. 

His feet were aching as he walked down the hallways filled with people. He had been told it was Albevan tradition for the wedding guests to line the halls all the way up to the newlyweds room at the end of the night before retiring to their own rooms. He didn’t particularly like it, the people watching him walk to what was probably going to be the worst night of his life. 

King Odell was waiting ominously at the end to remind them of their duty as the rest of the guests departed. He left too, leaving Mihael and Near to walk into their bedroom, alone together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’re married now! This chapter was originally a lot longer compared to other chapters but I split it between this one and the next one. 
> 
> Next chapter should be out on Monday! It won’t entirely be smut but there will be some ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you comment I’ll do my best to respond to you!


	8. Connect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is probably more dialogue than smut but there is smut, so have fun reading that ;)

They weren’t alone for very long. The servants came bustling in a minute after they did, claiming they needed to help the newlyweds undress. 

Near shivered as they peeled him out of his outfit. It was relatively cold in the room, but it wasn't so much the cold making him shake.

Nearby, Mihael was also being pulled out of his uniform. Near chose to ignore the defined muscles of Mihael’s arms as his jacket came off. It was better not to focus on Mihael right now, lest he start worrying again. He was given a robe to slip into, but the only other thing he had was underwear. He went to go sit on the bed, to wait for Mihael to finish. 

He tried to take deep breaths, in and out and in and out. It was better to calm down. He repeated the phrase as a mantra in his head. Nothing he did worked well. He was still nervous, heart beating out of his chest. 

The door closed and Near felt the bed dip as Mihael sat next to him.

They sat there in silence for a moment.

"So," Mihael said awkwardly, “I have to talk to you about something before we…”

"We're both here all night." Near had no clue what was so pressing that Mihael had to stall. He wanted to get this over with. 

Mihael sighed and leaned back. "There’s a reason I’ve been an asshole to you these past few weeks, if you’ll listen."

"Do I have a choice?" Near asked, letting some of his bitterness seep through his monotonous voice. Mihael paused before talking again.

"It’s about my dad,” Mihael started. Near waited for him to continue, but Mihael didn’t speak. Near looked over to see Mihael staring at the ground, haunted. Mihael noticed him staring and blinked at him for a moment before he started to speak again.

"He’s fucking tortured people I care about before. I acted like I didn’t like you so that he wouldn’t use you as leverage against me. I didn’t know what you were like, so I kept it from you until I was sure you were trustworthy. I’m sorry for lying, but I was keeping you safe as I could.”

Near didn't know what else to do but stare incredulously at Mihael.This was not what he had expected at all.

"Did you even fucking hear me?" Mihael asked after a moment of silence.

"Obviously," Near said. His mind was running too fast. He had to rethink everything with this new information. He’d thought that he would be operating on defensive mode at all times, against everyone. Neither of the Keehls were safe to be around. And yet, Mihael sat here telling him he had been shielding him this whole time. 

Mihael, previously labelled as an enemy in Near's mind, was now a wild card. He hadn't thought Mihael was deliberately acting aggressive. He had ruled it out and he had been wrong. The question was if this was another disguise too. Acting like a savior to convince Near to trust him. 

Near had never felt so unsure of anything in his life.

He couldn’t be sure that Mihael was telling the truth. He couldn’t be sure that he was lying either.

"Listen, I know it's hard to believe, but he’s really hurt people close to me. Matt has the scars to prove it and you can ask him about it if you really want to know." 

Another thought ran through his head, one that made him feel sick. 

"Did Linda know?" Near asked, his voice nearly a whisper. Had she lied to him too? If she had, then he knew there was no one to trust here. 

"She better not have," Mihael grumbled. "Matt wasn't supposed to tell her. We agreed only the two of us should know. The less people involved, the better. It's why I didn't just tell you about it earlier."

Relief washed over him and he exhaled slowly. He would question her tomorrow to be certain about it, but that was good enough. Right now, he was focused on getting answers from Mihael. 

He had to think. What else was there to know? He remembered a memory from a few weeks ago that still confused him. Up until now.

"This is why you got so mad that one day," Near said, searching Mihael’s face for his reaction. "Our third meeting, I think it was. I said you were just as terrible as your dad."

"Yeah." Mihael looked down, frowning. "That wasn't acting. I think you understand why I was so fucking angry about that now."

"I do. I'm sorry I said that to you." Near did feel bad for saying it now that he knew what was going on. Odell was manipulating his son through fear and Mihael had really thought that this was his best option to keep him safe. The last thing Near thought he would feel for Mihael was sympathy, but here he was, sadness sticking in his heart.

"It doesn't matter," Mihael said bitterly. "It was what I was going for with the acting, I guess. And my reaction was uncalled for. I’m still sorry about that, by the way." Near tried to think of anything else he missed.

At home, he, L, and Light saw through any schemes of the court members or extended royal family easily. He had never been duped like this before. Part of him was disappointed with himself for not seeing through Mihael's lies. 

Another part of him was happy though. He'd thought Mihael was a hotheaded Alpha with no real intelligence. 

If this was all true, Mihael clearly knew how to play people off each other and make them see what they wanted. It _excited_ him, to know that he would be working with someone clearly skilled. 

"So, what now?" Near realized he had been twirling a finger through his hair the whole time and hadn't noticed. He let his hand fall. "Now that I know?"

"I don't know," Mihael admitted. "We’ll still have to pretend to dislike each other, probably. It’s safe, but it isn’t foolproof. I haven’t really spoken out against my dad in a while though. I can’t do much until he dies. Or if I challenge him in a duel for the throne.”

“Would you do that?” Near asked. “Go against your own dad?”

"He‘s a shitty father. I honestly don't think he ever really loved me, but I don’t know if I could duel him. I’d want to train more before I did, at least."

Near studied the man for a moment before scooting closer to lean against him. He didn't want to try to lie to Mihael and assure him that his dad probably did love him. He was a twisted man, incapable of remorse. Near didn't doubt that he might be incapable of love too. 

"I hope that when we have children you will not make it a tradition to be a bad father," Near said to break the awkward silence. Mihael made an amused sound.

"Fuck no. I’m never putting any of our kids through the fucked up shit he’s done.”

There was a brief, uncertain pause.

Near was less nervous, but he still wanted to get what they had to do over with. He figured he’d questioned enough to be satisfied and they’d ought to get on with it. 

“I’m glad to hear that," Near hummed. “I was afraid of having to spend the night with you because of your behavior. Am I correct in guessing that won't be an issue anymore?"

"No," Mihael responded easily. "I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you were worried about."

"Good," Near said. He leaned towards Mihael to press their lips together, a bit hesitant. Near had less qualms about what they had to do now that he knew the Alpha wasn't as terrible as he'd been led to believe. 

He’d started the kiss slow, but Mihael grabbed his hips and pulled him into his lap, wasting no time at all. Near wasn’t entirely sure about the situation, but Mihael seemed to have some idea of what to do. He wrapped his arms around Mihael's neck and allowed the Alpha to kiss him.

He grinded his hips down against Mihael, who growled on response and pulled him closer. He began to pull off Near's robe, leaving him only in his underwear. Near thought it was rather unfair, so he tugged it off Mihael's shoulders until he got the message and released Near's hips to push the robe off himself. 

"You weren't so eager about this earlier," Mihael said, eyeing his mostly bare body.

"Because I'm not as worried about you hurting me now," Near responded. “I find this easier now that I know you aren’t some hotheaded, aggressive Alpha.” He gasped when Mihael grabbed his behind and pulled him closer on his lap. 

“Never mind. You are one.” 

Mihael snickered before crashing their lips together again. Near was operating more on instinct now, but he still wasn’t entirely confident with his movements. It didn’t matter much because any friction had them both moaning into each other's mouths. The two of them grinded against each other and sucked and bit at each other's lips until Near got off Mihael's lap to strip his underwear off. It was starting to get uncomfortably restricting and he was starting not to care about what he was doing as much. 

Mihael took the chance to quickly rip his off too before tugging Near back onto his lap. Near reached between them to stroke both of their erections. He was probably dripping slick on Mihael's lap, but the older man didn't seem to care. He was more focused on fondling Near's ass and biting his neck and chest. 

“No marks on my neck,” Near panted. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to hide them.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Mello growled. “I’ll be careful.”

Despite his grumblings, he listened. The only marks were a couple of light ones below his collarbone, ones that could easily be hidden. Near felt a little more relaxed. He was respecting Near’s boundaries. That was a good sign. 

When Mihael decided Near was ready, he picked him up and pushed him onto the mattress. Mihael settled between Near's legs, looking down at him.

"You okay?" 

"I’m fine. I’d prefer it if you continued," Near said. 

Mihael rolled his eyes, but Near felt his finger begin to push in. Near was wet enough for it. He established a rhythm of in and out before adding a second finger. It was easy enough to take in two, and Near was accepting a third not long after. That stung a little, but Near found himself not caring very much when Mihael found his prostate. _That_ made his toes curl and his legs twitch further apart. 

Mihael had asked him if he thought he was ready, but it had mainly gone in one ear and out the other. Near had muttered an automatic ‘yes’ to Mello. Near watched in anticipation as Mihael slid his fingers out and coated his cock with slick. He was surprised when Mihael flipped their positions, so he was sitting on Mihael's lap again. 

"I was serious about not hurting you. You’re in control," the Alpha explained. Near moved to hover over Mihael’s erection, unsure and unsteady. One of Mihael's hands was on Near's hips and the other held his cock in place while Near lowered himself onto it. 

Mihael pressed a kiss to Near's lips when he had taken Mihael's entire length in. After getting used to it for a minute, Near began to move his hips up and down, a little hesitantly and without much rhythm. Mihael wasn’t complaining, moaning in Near’s ear, spurring him on. 

Mihael was content to let him be in control while he got used to it, but when he got more confident in his movements, Mihael pressed him back onto the bed. Near was glad for it because his thighs were starting to ache. Mihael remembered where his prostate was and he began to pay attention to Near's neglected erection, stroking in time with his thrusts. 

Near bit on Mihael's shoulder, trying to muffle his moans. Mihael did no such thing, moaning in Near's ear and saying sweet, stupid things that Near couldn't quite process. He might’ve asked if Near was alright a few times, but Near didn’t really remember. All he could focus on was the constant pleasure and it didn't take long for him to finish, shuddering and clenching on Mihael inside of him. Mihael thrust in him a few more times before he came inside of Near. After a minute he pulled out of Near slowly, and then flopped onto the bed next to Near.

"Are you alright?" Mihael asked. Near looked over at him, still breathing heavily. Mihael was staring back at him, concerned. Near felt a warm feeling in his chest.

"Yes." Near closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. Everything was looking significantly better than it had been just hours ago. 

He had been unsure about Mihael being truthful, but he was more sure that he wasn’t lying about protecting him. He’d been careful and gentle with him, a luxury most Omegas never got. He’d even allowed Near to take control at the beginning, something most Alphas would never do. 

He had gotten lucky. It was highly likely that Mihael was not a threat to his safety and that he was telling the truth. 

He felt relaxed again. 

He was content enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny enough, this chapter was actually one of my least favorites that I wrote, mainly because I’m hard on myself. I did have a lot of fun writing Mello in this one though. He’s a fucking asshole sometimes, but he cares (at least when I write him). I have a soft spot for Mello secretly being caring to the people he’s close to even thought he acts like a shithead 99% of the time, if you couldn’t tell. 
> 
> Oh, and the boys are on the same page now! Everything can only go well from here, right...?
> 
> On completely random note, I managed to make myself cry writing a different draft for a fic (it was another meronia fic). I just thought it was funny because I was sitting there crying like a dumbass at my own goddamn writing and it really wasn’t that sad. I was very tired and still am, which is why I’m sitting here rambling about it. 
> 
> Back to what I’m actually supposed to be talking about, idk when the next update will be out, tomorrow or the day after probably. I’m aiming for tomorrow but no guarantees on that. The next chapter is a whole lotta dialogue, just more questions answered. We’ll be seeing a few different characters there. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I always try to respond to comments if you leave any ❤️ (btw you guys are so sweet, I love reading them)


	9. Answered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue is hard :(
> 
> And fair warning, this isn’t beta’d. I haven’t mentioned it before (oops) but yeah... I’m sorry for any grammatical errors and whatnot. 
> 
> Enjoy reading!!!

Mello woke up to Nate clinging to him in his sleep. Last night, he had gotten the energy to get them both towels to clean off as much as they could before they both promptly fell asleep. He was certain they hadn't been this close together when he'd drifted off. 

He tried to carefully remove himself, but Nate whined and pulled him closer. He settled back down, letting Nate cuddle back in his chest. The Omega was still asleep but wouldn't be for long. Servants would be in soon to wake them up. Mello always woke up just a bit earlier than they came in. 

He was sure one of the servants would be his father’s spy, to make sure they'd actually had sex. He assumed the soiled towels and sheets would be enough proof. Odell would want them to have kids as soon as possible to ensure the bloodline. 

And sure enough, the doors opened after a few silent minutes. Nate stirred and pulled himself off of Mello but didn't fully wake. Mello watched the servants open the curtains. He missed the feeling of Nate cuddled against him, but knew it was for the best that nobody saw them so close together.

"Good morning, Your Royal Highnesses." One servant appeared on his side and another on Nate's. They both had a trays with breakfast. He and Near didn't have to attend any meals with family today. They didn't get a honeymoon, but they did get a day off. 

"Put it on the bedside table." 

Mello sat up and took the tray from the servant, as opposed to Nate who just laid there and watched his breakfast being carefully set down. All of the servants left them silently. Mello took a bite of toast. Nate didn't move. 

"Are you always so lazy?" Nate rolled back over to look at him. 

"I'm not lazy," he said, a little indignant. "I'm slow to wake up."

"And apparently very cuddly when you sleep," Mello commented, smirking. The tips of Nate's ears turned pink.

"Something I wish I grew out of." Nate sat up and grabbed the tray from the table. 

"It's cute," Mello snickered, taking a drink of water. 

"Shut up, Mihael."

"You can call me Mello, you know."

"Mello? Why would I? You aren't mellow at all from what I’ve observed."

"It's a nickname."

"It's a terrible one."

"Tell that to Matt. It's his fault."

"I will. Mine is Near."

"Huh?" Mello said, mouth full.

"My nickname is Near. L used to call me that when we were little and it stuck."

"Is L even _his_ real name?"

"Yes. And you'll probably need to speak with him and Light soon. I told them you were an awful person." Mello groaned.

"So they hate me?" Near nodded. "Fantastic. I haven't even spoken to them and they despise me."

"We could go talk to them today," Near suggested. 

"Alright," Mello said. "So long as they don't kill me on sight." 

“They won’t. Promise.” 

“I doubt that. Every time I looked at them yesterday they looked pissed.”

“They’ll come around,” Near said. 

“Yeah, sure. I nearly stumbled over my words during the vows because they were looking at me like a pair of fucking hawks.”

“Better than what I had to face. Your father didn’t smile once through the whole ceremony and the rest of your family was just as severe as him.” 

“I know. It was all his side of the family. He didn’t let anyone from my mom’s side attend.” 

“No?”

“No. He hates them. I think he hated her too, honestly.”

“Am I allowed to ask what happened to her?” Near’s hand slid into his. Mello took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. 

“I was fourteen at the time. We were visiting a factory to look around and give a speech. One of the machines malfunctioned and started a fire. The building had started to fall apart. I made it out with the scar. She didn’t make it out at all. After her death was when my dad really started to act the way he does now. She was kind of the only thing stopping him.”

Mello looked over at Near. It had been years since his mom’s death and he did really miss her. He thought that if she were still alive, she would’ve been happy for them. She was the one who had raised Mello for the most part and made sure he knew that everyone was equal, no matter their dynamic. He had presented as an Alpha, but his mom didn’t want him to think he was better because of it.

“It’s hard to lose your parents,” Near finally spoke. “Mine were both killed by an assassin. My mother had passed a policy to protect lower class workers so their workplace could be less dangerous. The man’s business was operating on the blood of its workers and it was destroyed by the law. He had no money, no place to go, so he snuck into our estate we go to for holidays and shot them while they slept. He was apprehended quickly.”

“Executed?” 

“Yes. L and I wanted to throw him in prison and make him suffer there, but the nobility demanded his head. We knew his death wouldn’t give us closure. There wasn’t much else to be done. Security was tightened a lot after.”

“What were your parents like?”

“Oh, they were very different.” Near’s lips pulled into a small, fond smile. “It had been decades since an Alpha female took the throne, but my mother didn’t let it bother her. My father was an Omega from another country, like the third or fourth son of a king. They were an odd couple, but they worked well together to rule Shauso. Neither of them were really good at showing affection, so L and I kind of grew up without touch. They loved us though.”

“So does that mean I’ll have to make up for nineteen years of missed affection?” Mello allowed himself to grin teasingly. Near let out a slightly amused huff.

“You don’t _have_ to, but I won’t mind if you do.” Near’s tray was set on his table and he turned on to lay his side, facing Mello. “Though L and Light may beat you. Neither of them have ever been touchy, but they’ve been doing it more since this whole thing happened.”

“Oh, I think I can beat them.”

“Well, you can let them know that when we go talk to them.”

“Don’t remind me,” Mello groaned. “I have to figure out how the fuck to explain everything to them without getting murdered.” 

“I’m sure they’ll react well.” Mello scowled at Near’s sarcastic comment.

Yeah, they would probably kill him.

༺──────────────༻

Near watched L and Light's faces as Mello explained himself to them. He could see the doubt, but also relief. There was no reason for them to think he or Mello were lying. 

L had checked him over for anything again as soon as he walked in and had disregarded Mello's presence entirely. However, the only thing Near had were a few marks beneath his collar and L couldn’t see those. He had pushed his brother away from checking and told him to listen to what Mello had to say. 

Only then had L noticed Mello had walked in with him. Light was already glaring at him, while Mello met his gaze and was giving an impressive evil eye back. Near had to tell them both to stop so Mello could tell them what was going on properly.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" L asked when he finished. Near could see Light was on the edge about it. He could see that Mello wasn’t lying, but he didn’t really want to believe the Prince.

They were all such stubborn men.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Near gave Mello a sharp look, but he kept talking. "Neither of you even know me at all. You’re going off what Near had told you originally, before I could even tell him any of this!" Light raised an eyebrow at Mello's crude words. L remained impassive, but the look in his eye told Near he wasn't pleased.

"You shouldn't speak to kings like that, Prince Mihael," Light warned. 

"This isn’t political at all. I'm talking to you as Near's family, not as the kings of Shauso. It's the only reason I'm telling you all this, because he cares about you."

Near could see L soften a bit at that. He and Light would always be the crack in L's resolve. Mello might not have realized it, but he was absolutely exploiting L's affection. That, or the man _did_ know that L would relent for Near and was using it to his advantage.

"If Near believes him, we should too." L sighed as Light turned to him, disbelieving. "I know you don't like it, but I trust Near's judgement." Light didn't argue with him, but Near knew he wouldn't let it go so easily.

"I believe Mello," Near said. "Light, if it makes you feel better, siding with him means going against King Odell." 

Light's mouth twitched into what was almost a smile. Near knew he still held bitterness for not being able to attend the peace negotiations because of Odell’s feelings towards their dynamic. 

"I suppose it's enough of a consolation," Light muttered, almost jokingly. Near gave a small smile and leaned against Mello, looking up at him. L and Light were at least willing to accept him for now. 

“I know we were supposed to talk longer, Near, but I was wondering if Light and I might talk to Mihael alone. To get to know him.” L sounded innocent, but Near knew from the look in his eye that Mello was about to undergo a complete interrogation. 

And judging by Mello’s steely expression, he knew what he was facing too.

༺──────────────༻

Near walked through the castle halls alone. He felt bad for leaving Mihael with his brothers, but he was certain the Alpha could handle them.

He wanted to find Linda and Matt. 

He made his way to the offices they worked in when they weren't accompanying Mello and himself. He went into Matt's office first, but found Linda sitting there too. 

"Isn't it your day off?" Linda asked, smiling. She stood up and hugged him. "Matt told me everything." 

So that confirmed it. Linda hadn't had a clue what had been going either. He would have to talk to her alone later. He still felt a little overwhelmed by the new information and he needed someone to bounce his thoughts off of. He was certain Linda probably did too. 

"Where's Mello?" Matt asked. 

"Being interrogated by L and Light." Matt snickered at that. Near walked into the small room 

"I have some questions."

"For me or Linda?" Matt asked.

"You." Near sat in the chair in front of Matt's desk and Linda sat down in the other.

"Ask away." 

"Mello said he was protecting me from his father. He told me that you could confirm that the King has hurt those close to him in the past."

“Yeah. I think it’d be inappropriate for me to just tear off my shirt right now, but I’ve got scars on my back from being whipped before.” Near looked over to Linda, who nodded her head in agreement. She would know.

“Would the charade have continued if I didn’t meet the standards? Mello didn’t quite mention it.”

“If we thought that you couldn’t keep a secret? Probably. We kinda just assumed you would be fine. Your intelligence was one of the major points on your dossier.”

“One more question. How much did you know about Mello’s plan?” He assumed Matt probably knew it all from what Mello had said last night, but he wanted to be sure he was correct.

“All of it. I helped him come up with it.”

“I thought so,” Near said under his breath. Linda cleared her throat, looking at Matt pointedly.

“Oh, yeah,” Matt muttered. “Sorry about what I said last night.”

“It’s fine,” Near dismissed calmly. “You were extremely inebriated.”

“I don’t even remember saying it to you, honestly. Linda told me.”

“He doesn’t hold his liquor well,” Linda said dryly, looking at her boyfriend with a fond disapproval.

“I can hold my liquor! I just had a lot to drink last night.”

“That’s not true,” Linda told Near, acting as if Matt wasn’t there. “I was with him for almost the whole night and he only drank three glasses of alcohol.”

“They were big glasses!” Matt’s protest fell on deaf ears as Linda laughed and continued to tease him about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was also not one of my favorites, mainly because I think writing dialogue is hard and that’s what this chapter is mostly made up of. For the record, the stuff about Mello’s mom and Near’s parents isn’t very important, I just love writing unimportant background information. It’s a problem. 
> 
> Another one of my favorite things is Near secretly being super cuddly in his sleep because he’s a stone cold bitch otherwise. I just think it’s cute 
> 
> Uhhh so I’m not sure when I’ll be updating next??? Like Thursday or Friday probably. The next chapter is when shit hits the fan! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you leave a comment, I’ll do my best to respond to you ❤️


	10. Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be prepared for the amount of shit that’s about to go down...

After another two days of visiting, L and Light returned to Shauso, leaving Near once again. He didn’t feel as alone this time though. 

He and Mello kept their charade up for a month. Linda and Matt were constantly reminding and helping them. The four of them operated perfectly to either keep them separated throughout their days or make sure everyone knows Mello and Near couldn’t possibly like each other. 

At least, outside their bedroom doors. Inside is when they finally got to curl up with each other and talk for hours until they fell asleep or ended up tangled together in another way. They are expected to have an heir, but the doctors had said it was unlikely they would conceive outside of Near’s heat.

It didn’t matter. Near was fascinated by Mello. He really was a lot brighter than he’d thought. Mello was equally as intrigued with Near, happy to actually have someone as intelligent as himself in the castle. Even if Near kept beating him at every game they played. 

They’d found a match with each other and were elated.

But their happiness didn’t last long enough. 

They were sitting together in an early morning council meeting, Mello at his father’s right hand and Near at his. Mello was paying attention and he was sure Near was pretending to, but he knew the Omega often got lost in thoughts and couldn’t focus on things as boring as this.

One of the marquesses was complaining about the state of the region his family lived, about how it was flooded and ruining the landscape. Mello wanted to tell him to shut up, that there were people starving and freezing and he dared to have the audacity to complain about his sinking trees.

It wasn’t his place. One of his father’s advisors assured the marquess something would be done. It was all so frivolous, but it hadn’t always been. His mother had always made his father bring in poorer folk to make their case and be heard. He was certain she’d blackmailed him with his many affairs, but it had forced Odell to make life better for the lower class citizens.

There was no such buffer for it now. Mello would have to work hard to fix that when he would be king, but that wouldn’t be for years. It wasn’t worth thinking about now. He tuned back into the meeting and his father’s words.

“I have a new plan to put in place, and you here at the council will be the first to hear it.” Everyone’s eyes snapped nervously to Odell. It was rare that his father announced new laws or orders here, but sometimes he liked to.

“It had come to my attention that because of recent weather, many parts of our country are in need of repair. So, some of the funds for infrastructure here in the capital will be used to aid you, instead of helping us who were unaffected here.” 

The council politely began to clap, but Mello didn’t. He knew what his father was doing and was furious. He was taking away funds for infrastructure, but it would be infrastructure in the poorer parts of the city that were already dilapidated. 

“It’s all just a lie.” He whispered his statement, but his father heard it. He whipped around, eyes bright and sharp. Odell grabbed his shoulder and dragged him out of his seat. The people in the chamber gasped.

“Say it again, Mihael.” His father was snarling. The flood was cold and hard when he fell on to it. “Speak.”

“You’re just going to take the funds from the lower class people in the city to distribute to the nobility. To weaken them and beat them down,” Mello burst, his voice almost rising to a shout. The poorer people of their country had been restless recently, wanting change, wanting help. And of course, the King’s response was to take away some of their funding. 

“They’re lesser than us. We do not owe them our charity.” His father’s voice was calm, but loud.

“They are our people too!” Mello yelled. “They look up to us for hope. If we can’t provide for them, what kind of rulers are we?”

“We...? You do not rule, son. Only I do.” Odell snapped his fingers. Guards appeared behind him. “Bring Prince Nate and Mail Jeevas to the floor.” 

Near was taken from his seat and Matt was grabbed from where he stood. They both began to writhe and fight, but the guards were stronger than both. The entire council looked down at the two unwilling figures. Mello did too, horror in his eyes.

“Make a choice, Mihael. Who will suffer because of you? Your Omega or your best friend? It should be easy. You don’t like your toy anyway. Unless you don’t want the little bitch to be scarred that badly. It would ruin him, so maybe not. And Mail’s already been broken before, so what’s the harm of a few more scars?”

Mello’s blue eyes flicked between the two of them. They both looked resigned, as if to tell Mello they would never blame him if he chose to rescue the other. He didn’t want to see blood color Matt’s already scarred back again, but he didn’t want to see scars on Near’s either. 

He couldn’t choose. 

No. He _wouldn’t_ choose. The past month had been wonderful with Near, but it had also pained him to pretend everyday. And for what? 

In the end, their plan hadn’t worked because he was sitting here, wondering who to choose. What was the point? Acting had worn at his resolve and left only fury and vengeance.

He slowly rose up from where he had been thrown on the floor and faced his father. Cruel, insane happiness was radiating from the King, but he faltered upon seeing his son’s grim face.

“I choose neither of them. I challenge you, Odell Keehl, in a duel for the kingdom of Albeva. If you win, you can punish _me_ all you want and keep the crown. But if I win, you’re going to be banished from Albeva and I will take the throne.”

Odell slowly smirked. The people in the room were murmuring, a low hum of anxiety and fear. 

“I accept the challenge. The duel will be today at noon. Go.” Odell signaled for the guards to let Matt and Near go. The three of them hurried out of the hall and Linda caught up with them as they did. 

“What the hell are you thinking, Mello?” Matt had tried to grab his arm and stop him, but he pulled away. He had to be quick. He only had an hour at most.

“I can’t sit here and tolerate this anymore.” Mello burst in his bedroom. He had to find his equipment. He would need to make sure his sword was sharpened and ready. “Matt, go get my sword.” Matt began to argue, but Linda put a calming hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He stomped off to do as he was told. 

Mello strapped on the pieces of his armor. It was a thick cloth-like material, but it was relatively light to allow movement. His father would be a powerful opponent, so he would need to rely on speed and strategy, as well as his own strength. He saw Near staring at him through the mirror, eyes blank. 

“Linda, wait outside for Matt to come back.” She slipped out of the room quietly. Mello finished putting on his equipment and walked over to where Near was sitting on the bed, settling down next to him slowly.

“I couldn’t watch either of you get hurt because of me.” 

“You could die. He could kill you.” Near’s wide gray eyes stared at him, two endless storms. His face was still as always, but Mello could smell the Omega’s fear. 

“He won’t. He still needs me as his heir. Worst case scenario is that he wins and has me tortured. But I have to fight at least. Hell, if I win, this could all be over.” Mello took one of Near’s hands and kissed it lightly. “We wouldn’t have to pretend. And we could help our people properly.”

“If you win.” Near’s voice was a whisper. He leaned his forehead against Mello’s, eyes closed. “You have to win.”

“I will.”

༺──────────────༻

There was no formal seating for the dueling grounds, so Near stood in the front row of the crowd with a clear view of both contenders. Across the area, he could see Anthony Carter, surrounded by other worried, whispering nobles. Matt and Linda flanked him with grim looks on their faces. 

Near really didn’t know much about duels. Swords and duels had long since been forgotten in Shauso. It was against the law there and people didn’t really practice with swords anymore. Mello had told him that they did fight with guns, the same way they did in Shauso. But sword fighting was learned too, strictly for dueling, which were still legal here. 

An overwhelming sense of nervousness had permeated his thoughts. This duel would decide everyone’s fate from now on. It felt like a crossroads to Near. Odell had probably caught on to their charade after Mello’s refusal to choose. So if Mello lost, they would all have to be on best behavior all the time. Odell would gladly torture Near to punish Mello. 

But if Mello won…

They could be happy together. They could help the people of Albeva who needed it and could change everything. Odell couldn’t control them and he would _finally_ stop haunting their thoughts.

Two very different outcomes. 

Near hoped Mello was as good at fighting as everyone said he was.

Father and son stared at each other. This fight was all or nothing for both. A duke was sitting in as a referee for the match. He didn’t look very happy to be doing it. Stepping forward, he held out a hand.

“This duel, issued by Mihael Keehl, will begin unless either side wishes to forfeit now.” The duke paused and then nodded. “In that case, bow to each other. Then you may begin.” He stepped back out of the area quickly. 

Mello and Odell both bowed. As soon as Mello rose up, Odell lunged forward, swinging his sword down hard. Mello blocked it.

Near had winced, hoping Mello would recover and strike. But most of the fight was just like that first move, with Odell swinging hard and Mello blocking. Mello evaded each of his father’s strong blows, moving quickly.

“He can’t get a hit in,” Near murmured. “He won’t win unless he does.”

Mello was breathing hard, constantly on the move. Odell wouldn’t allow him any reprieve, the edge of his sword just barely missing every time.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Matt said, amused. “This is how Mello plays. He’ll act like he can’t win and then he’ll just fucking change gears and suddenly you’re the one who can’t get a swing in without catching his sword. Trust me, I get my ass kicked every time I fight him.”

It didn’t seem like it. Mello looked like he was starting to get tired. Odell’s sword was getting closer and closer. He managed to get a few cuts on Mello too.

Near watched Odell’s sword swing down for a final blow. He didn’t close his eyes, but he wanted to. Surely it couldn’t be over this quickly. 

Mello deflected it and laid a powerful hit on Odell. The man blinked, confused by the blood seeping from the cut on his arm. But he focused back on the fight when Mello swung again, a vicious look in his eyes.

“There it is,” Matt muttered. Near had thought Odell was doing a number on Mello but now realized that Mello was more ferocious and relentless. 

Near was pleased to see the slight panic in Odell’s eyes as he realized his son was much better than he expected. The fight dragged on, Odell able to barely deflect any blows and gaining a few cuts of his own. Then Near himself felt panic as Odell noticed Mello had left an opening and he swung to take advantage of it.

“It’s over,” Matt said. Near was confused as to why he was grinning until he looked. 

Mello had done it intentionally. He knew his father would go for it and used it against him, finding his own opening to strike. He didn’t land a hit with the edge of his sword, but rather the flat part, to force his father down. The point of the blade was hovering over Odell’s neck.

It was indeed over.

Odell was looking up with murder in his eyes, a defeated man. Mello took a deep breath, watching his father breathe heavily on the ground. He sheathed his sword, stepping back. 

“Prince Mihael has won the duel.” Near let out a sigh of relief. People began to politely clap, unsure if they should celebrate the dethroning of a king. 

Near realized he'd been clutching Matt's arm and Linda's hand the whole time and released them. Neither of them said a word about it, but all of them relaxed when they really processed what had happened.

Mello had won. Odell had to give up his crown. 

No more punishments or whippings. 

No more fear.

Mello turned to the three of them, tired and sweaty. Near flashed him a small smile, proud of his Alpha, but it quickly faltered.

“Behind you!” Near had never shouted before in his life, at least not as far as he could remember. The sound was foreign, but it was enough for Mello to whirl around and see his father lunging for him, sword in hand. He couldn’t protect himself with his sword sheathed. Mello was defenseless, staring as his father attacked him.

And then there was blood pouring everywhere.

So much blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh, that’s not good. This chapter was a bit of a doozy. Lots of action. I hope you all enjoyed it, especially that “lovely“ ending there. Not at all worrying... right?
> 
> Sooooo, about that next update... As per usual, not entirely sure when it will be, but I’ll get it out as soon as possible. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you comment, I will do my best to respond to you ❤️


	11. After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okayyyy, I couldn’t leave you guys on a cliffhanger for too long 
> 
> Enjoy!

Near sat outside their bedroom, hands shaking. The blood on them had long since been washed away, but it felt like it was still there. 

Near was not one to let his emotions rule him, yet he sat here believing there was something there that wasn’t. He was desperate to sink back into calm, be detached and unfeeling.

Yet he couldn’t.

Matt, of all people, had one arm around his shoulders, attempting to provide comfort. The Alpha was not doing a very good job of it, but it was something. 

Linda was the one who had run off to deal with the aftermath. She’d ordered them both to stay and wait. Matt had not protested at all. Near hadn’t either. 

He wanted to be in his room with Mello. He longed to feel the Alpha’s touch, hear his voice, anything. Just to know he was alright. 

When had he gotten so sentimental? So emotional?

He was kind of disappointed with himself before remembering that this was his husband and Alpha he was aching for. He was allowed to feel emotion in situations like this. 

It was just rare he’d get so overwhelmed by it like this. 

Even Matt was less scared then he was, though Near assumed he’d gone into a state of shock instead of overbearing emotion. His eyes looked empty and he hadn’t said a word yet. Near hadn’t either, but he’d leaned against the Alpha for any sort of support. 

They both needed it. Even though Matt didn’t look it, he could smell the Alpha’s pain and worry. He was certain Matt could scent his own fear too. 

Everything was so uncertain. Both Mello and Odell were in an unknown state right now. He hadn’t been able to assess either of their injuries properly. He couldn’t tell who might survive. Or who might die.

But he could hope.

They’d waited for what felt like hours, but it probably wasn’t that long.

A boy quickly approached from down the hall. 

“I was sent with a message for the both of you. It’s from Odell’s doctors,” he said, sounding sympathetic. He handed Near a piece of paper and bowed before walking back down the hall. 

Near unfolded the paper with shaking hands. Four words. Words that Near was disgusted with himself for hoping to see.

‘Long live the king.’

༺──────────────༻

Mello had cursed at the doctors and nurses and any other staff to let him up. They’d held him down to stitch up the wounds he’d received earlier and the most recent one his father had given him. 

His father had been trying to kill him.

He had lunged at him, absolute anger in his eyes, sword in hand. 

However, the man hadn’t been able to land a killing blow because Anthony Carter had done so first. The man had intervened, his own sword in hand. Odell had given Mello a pretty deep wound, but he was the one who ended up on the ground, bleeding, reaching, _dying_. 

Near had rushed to Mello’s side, trying to stop the bleeding Odell had caused. Medics had quickly pulled the Omega off of him to get him here and fix him up properly.

Fury was easier to process than the odd mix of grief and horror.

The medics had taken his father away too. He wasn’t sure how bad his wounds were. 

Blood had been pouring fast, both from of them. He didn’t want to think about it.

Instead, he latched onto the anger born from others pulling his Omega away. He knew from the staff’s reassurances that Near was just outside, waiting for him. He didn’t care. It was easier to fight and shout than to think rationally. 

He stopped once the one of the doctors, one he’d known for a long time, had threatened to sedate him if he didn’t calm down. She definitely wasn’t kidding and being drugged was the last thing he wanted.

And, true to their word, the staff allowed Near in once they’d finished with his wounds. Mello slowly sat up as Near rushed in. The Omega gently hugged him, carefully of his wounds. Mello had no such worries about the wound and hugged Near back tightly. 

The anxious look on Near’s face was the most emotion Mello had ever seen from him and the Alpha wanted nothing more than to comfort him. Matt followed in soon after, watching the medical staff exit the room. 

Matt looked nervous too. Mello knew his friend too well. 

Something had happened. His stomach dropped.

“Tell me,” Mello demanded. 

“You need to recover,” Matt said lightly. 

“I need to know if something has happened. Fucking tell me.” 

Near looked back at Matt uncertainly and slowly handed him a piece of paper, sitting down on the bed next to him. He opened it and read what he feared worst.

His father was dead.

He could barely process what he was reading.

“Linda’s already started the arrangements for the funeral,” Matt said quietly. “Anthony Carter isn’t currently being detained. It was against the law for your father to attack you while your back was turned after he lost the match. Anthony was in his right to defend you, but if you want him arrested it can be arranged.” Mello felt the ‘now that you’re the king’ hanging in the air, unsaid. 

Now that he was the king. It was all so fast. Just this morning he’d been content to wait years for his father’s death. And now he had won the throne and the man was gone.

He felt confused. He knew he should feel grief. But he also felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had loved his father, or at least he thought he did. But the man had tortured him for years with disapproval. 

Why couldn’t he feel sad? Or anger?

All he felt was numbness.

“I should go help Linda. With your permission.” Mello waved his hand for Matt to leave. The note was set carefully on his bedside table. It felt like he should rip it up out of anger for his father’s death. But for once, he didn’t feel angry.

Near’s hand gently touched his shoulder, unsure but comforting. Mello grabbed and held it. He needed an anchor right now. 

“I don’t want Anthony arrested,” Mello told Near. He didn’t know what else to say. 

“Then he won’t be.” Near scooted a little closer, voice soft. 

“Who all knows about the death?” Mello felt Near’s other hand grab his. 

“The entire capital, by now. News spread pretty quickly. Matt and I were the first to know, other than the doctors. And maybe Linda too. But it’s been over an hour since we found out.”

“What are the people saying?” He hoped the staff was still efficient enough to gather information quickly.

“So far, most people seem overwhelmingly supportive of what you did. The information about Odell’s new policy got out so the middle and lower classes are very happy with you for standing up for them. The older nobility are angry, but they’re being kind of silenced by their children and younger nobility. Overall, you have a lot of support. Nobody has called for Anthony’s head either.”

“Good. I’ll have to have a speech written to address the nation tonight.”

“No,” Near said patiently, but firmly. “You will not address the nation tonight. If it must be then, I will do it. You’re injured and you’re grieving. You need to rest, or do something that’s not strenuous.”

“You can’t ban me from working, Near.”

“I can. I’m your husband. You have to listen to me this time. The doctors will agree with me and so will Matt and Linda. You must rest. I can go tell them to write a speech for _tomorrow_ if you really want to give one.” Near began to slip out of bed, but Mello caught his sleeve and pulled him back.

“Don’t. I want you here.” 

“Only if you agree no work for the rest of the day.” Mello’s resolved cracked and he tugged Near back into bed.

“Fine. No work.” Near graced him with a small, sad smile and curled up next to him, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek as he did. 

As much as Mello hated to admit it, he was right. Mello needed time to process his feelings about his father’s death and heal. Throwing himself into work probably wouldn’t be good. Clearly Near wouldn’t let him, even if he tried.

There were many things that had to be sorted out. But it could wait until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess it’s Mello’s turn to suffer emotionally, but at least he’s not dead. Sorry to worry you guys with that ending last chapter, but I do love keeping things vague (and making everyone freak out). 
> 
> Next chapter will be out Sunday or Monday. I know I almost always post it the first day whenever I give days, but I put the second day on there in case I’m lazy. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I’ll do my best to respond if you comment :)


	12. Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot to post this

Mello woke up with a start, gasping for air and sweaty. Two cool hands came to cup his face. He calmed down when he smelled Near's familiar scent, sweet and comforting. Near was looking down at him, concerned.

"Are you okay?" he whispered. Mello sat up slowly and pulled Near into his lap to press his face against the top of Near's head, breathing in his calming aroma.

"I'm good." He didn't sound good. He didn't really feel good either, but the haunting dream had left the same sickness churning in his stomach multiple nights now. 

It wasn't always the same nightmare. Some were simply his father inches away from killing him and then the blood pouring out from him, a frightening memory made dream. Some were different. Sometimes his father turned away to kill Near or Matt. Other times, his father would stand over his mother's corpse. 

The only theme was his dad haunting him, torturing him. He dreaded falling asleep each night because he knew what might come. It didn’t happen too often, but enough to make him afraid to sleep.

"You don't look good," Near commented. He reached up and brushed back the hair stuck to Mello's sweaty forehead. 

He hated keeping Near up too. The Omega had woken up with him every time, sensing the Alpha's panic.

"I'm okay," Mello lied. "Go back to sleep." 

"I will not," Near said, taking Mello's hand. Mello weakly smiled at him. 

Ever since the duel, Near had been even more cheeky than usual to everyone. Mello knew he probably missed the freedoms he had in his own country, although he was working on a solution. He wasn't officially the King until his coronation, but he'd already gotten his own team of advisors together, who he was already working to death by drafting up more than a few new laws.

He made sure the first had been a law designed to protect Omegas and _all_ of their freedoms. Anthony had helped him and his advisors with it. The man had been a little teary by the end of it and had thanked him a million times over. 

Near had also been there to provide advice. Mello was more than happy that Near was familiar with Shauso's laws on Omegas. He had helped him and his advisors on more than one occasion, providing both his own suggestions and contacts in Shauso who knew a thing or two about lawmaking.

He thanked whatever deity had decided to bless him with Near as his husband. Near was eager to help and had knowledge that would aid them in all regards. 

"Maybe you should see someone about this," Near suggested softly. "If you wanted, that is." 

"Maybe." Mello rubbed his thumb over Near's knuckles. "I should get it under control before the coronation. The nation shouldn't see a tired man become king."

"Mello, the coronation is in a week. This isn't going to be that easy." 

"It won't be hard," Mello insisted. “A week is plenty of-"

"Your father died in front of you, Mello." Near cut him off, eyes steely. "Your father tried to kill you and you watched him die. You went through trauma and it takes time to heal. More than a week.”

"But the coronation-"

"The coronation doesn't matter. The nation will not see a tired man. They will see their future king and how determined he is to change everything for the better." Near leaned his forehead against Mello's. 

It was times like these when Mello wondered where Near had been all his life. The Omega had become a constant comfort. After his mother's death, he'd been isolated and alone, except for Matt. He didn't realize how starved he was for affection until he had gotten it. 

It was difficult not to touch Near at all when they weren't alone. Their status demanded that they remained poised and elegant, so no matter how badly he wanted to wrap his arm around Near or kiss him or even hold his hand, he didn't. 

But when they were alone, he could hold him close. Near was similarly desperate for his touch, as he had been raised without much physical contact. Times like now, when they could curl up with each other for comfort, were Mello's favorite. He thought they might be Near’s too.

"Did you hear anything I said?" Near asked after Mello didn't respond.

"I heard," Mello hummed.

"Oh, so you just don't want to admit I'm right then?" Near asked. Mello could hear the slight teasing tone to his normal monotonous speech. He scoffed and then adjusted them so they were laying down. 

"Shut up and sleep," Mello grunted. 

"No comebacks?"

_”Near.”_

༺──────────────༻

The funeral was a dull affair. Mello could recall his mother’s, but hers was nothing like this at all. People had lined the streets, weeping for her. Even the cold-hearted nobles had shed a tear or two for her. She had been what stopped Odell from hurting others and had been the benevolent ruler their people had ached for.

Odell’s was nothing like that. Nobody wept for him. The citizens in the streets were stone-faced, silent. The nobles were the same. No one wanted to celebrate the death of their king, but there was a sense of relief in the air. Mello almost felt as if he was the only one who was grieving his father, even if it wasn’t much. 

It had been difficult to come to terms with the fact he could barely mourn his father, simply because there was nothing to mourn. What would he miss? Odell was his father by blood, but there was no other attachment.

He had loved his dad, but the dad that had at least _acted_ kind and caring. The dad he had before his mother died. 

And he had forgotten that man years ago. 

Near held onto his arm during the service, providing whatever support he needed. People offered condolences after and he listen to them dully. 

L and Light had returned for the funeral, as well as other dignitaries from their allied countries. At the actual ceremony, they’d only shook his hand. But they were able to get one private meeting in after the funeral. Mello knew Near had told them everything that happened, mainly because they’d both given him a tight hug and told him to write to them more often. 

It did cheer him up to know that they didn’t dislike that much anymore. Near had seemed pleased by it too. He was certain they’d have another meeting again soon. Many of the important people from outside the country had simply decided to stay for the week and leave after attending his coronation.

Mello and Near ate dinner in their private dining room that night with Matt and Linda. Mello felt drained from the entire day, and so did the other three. 

“I’m just saying, if you two make me plan another big event directly after the coronation, I might just lose it,” Linda had told them. She had done most of the organizing for the funeral and coronation. Matt had helped with the coronation, but he was also busy dealing with the aftermath of the duel. The court had needed assurances and information on what happened to avoid rumors from spreading. 

Everyone knew that Anthony Carter had killed the king. He was absent from the funeral today, so as not to cause offense to anyone who might’ve supported Odell. But he would be at the coronation. Many people had backed Carter, saying he had defended the rightful winner of the duel. Some demanded that he be stripped of his titles and exiled. Mello had refused the latter. The man had saved his life. 

“I don’t think we will. I’m tired of all the excitement.” Near’s voice caught his attention, forcing away his thoughts.

“Aren’t we all?” Matt groaned. “You managed to have a wedding, funeral, and coronation within the span of just over a month. If this is how your reign is gonna be, I’ll retire early.” They all shared a quiet laugh at that.

“I hope it’s not how it’ll be,” Mello muttered, mostly to himself. Near took his hand, squeezing it.

“I’m sure everything will calm down soon. It’ll be chaotic for a while with all the changes you want to pass, but everything will settle eventually,” Linda comforted. Matt nodded in agreement, his mouth stuffed with food. 

“Yeah. The older men and women of the nation, particularly nobility and some merchants, are really pushing back against everything, but their children are mostly leaning in support. The middle class and lower class are in huge support too.” Mello leaned back and stared at the ceiling. 

“The older nobility will fall in line. They can argue all they want, but they can’t go against the entire country _and_ their new monarchs.” Near was quiet, but certain. 

“Yeah. My dad invited me over to dinner, you know. Trying to butter me up because I’m the attendant of our new king. I didn’t buy it, but I went over anyway to see what he knew. He’d admitted to the nobility wavering on it already. They’re kind of splintered themselves, one half in support of Mello and one against.” 

Mello had already heard all about the dinner from Matt. Matt hadn’t bought his father’s show of goodwill and was rather upset when he came back. He’d only heard the basics of what went on, but he didn’t want to push his friend to talk about it. He knew firsthand that family could be difficult. He wished that Matt’s father had it in him to realize what he’d done wrong as a father and fix it.

Better than the solution Mello’s father had taken.

“Any transfer of power is difficult anyway. The court in Shauso was pretty unified when my parents died, but there was some fighting between them when my brother acceded the throne. It happens.” Near shrugged and curled a finger in to his hair.

“As long as it cools down eventually,” Mello groaned, leaning back and raking a hand though his hair.

He didn’t really want to deal with the court members at each other’s throat for the rest of his reign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re close to the end here, aren’t we? I didn’t realize until I saw I only had a chapter... jeez.
> 
> I don’t really have a ton to say this time around, but the last chapter will probably have a pretty big end note from me.
> 
> Next chapter will be out Tuesday. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! As usual, if you comment, I will do my best to respond to you :)


	13. Together

Mello stood, allowing the servants to dress him into his traditional Albevan uniform. It was a military uniform, but that was buried beneath the thick cape and sashes and jewels. He felt stupid in the outfit. It was all heavy and incredibly hot too. 

Near was standing across the room, slipping into his own outfit. It was nearly as decorative as his, much to Near’s dismay. But the committee in charge of the coronation had agreed that Near should be officially crowned as the secondary king of Albeva just after his coronation, so he had to wear a traditional uniform too. 

The two of them stood there, studying each other’s outfit after the servants finished.

“This is ridiculous,” Mello murmured, putting his hands on Near’s waist. Near hummed, adjusting one of Mello’s medals.

“I think L said a similar thing at his coronation. His outfit wasn’t the same, obviously. He still hated it just as much. But it’s only for a day.” Near’s hands came up to cup his face, pulling him down for a kiss. 

“Less than a day. We get to change for the celebration after.”

“And thank goodness for that.”

“Yes. Although after, I think that perhaps we should just skip changing into our nightclothes tonight after the celebration,” Mello purred, running his hands down Near’s sides.

“You have to get through today before we do anything,” Near said sternly. He stepped back, separating them. Mello rolled his eyes and held out his arm for Near to take and they walked out together.

༺──────────────༻

Near watched carefully as Mello took his place on the dais, having been crowned as king. He’d already taken the oath, already sworn himself to the nation. The rightful king of Albeva.

Not that Near would ever say that to his face. Mello was still emotional about his father’s death and Near didn’t want to make it worse. He kept his thoughts to himself for now.

As happy as he was for Mello’s coronation, it had been difficult to watch. He had found Mello’s just as dull as L’s had been years prior. Mello had sworn his oaths and allowed officials to speak and crown him.

Standing off to the side of the dais was the nobility waiting to pledge themselves to the newly crowned king. Near waited there too, but he would go first and allow Mello to crown him as the companion king of Albeva. 

When he was announced, he calmly stepped forward and knelt before Mello. 

Swearing himself to be at his side and serve the country felt easy. Reciting a memorized script was easy. Allowing people to place a crown on his head was easy. 

Everything felt so simple now. He knew the feeling wouldn’t last forever, but he basked in it for now. Simplicity was his favorite.

Mello had briefly kissed Near’s cheek when he stood, heavy crown set on his head. Near had flushed a little and taken his seat.

He sat at Mello’s side, watching as the people of the courts knelt before them and repeated their own memorized oaths. Anthony had given them both brief smiles when he enthusiastically swore fealty. They had returned it. Many of his fellow nobles, men and women were similarly friendly when they came up too. Some were clearly less than happy to be there, but they did what they were supposed to.

Mello looked content, like this was where he was meant to be. Near rather thought that the crown suited him. The people did too. When they stood out on the balcony, the new kings, the crowds waved flags and cheered their names gleefully. 

Near’s home country would always be Shauso, but Albeva was starting to grow on him now that things were looking up. He looked over at Mello, who waved and smiled at the masses below. The Alpha had been plagued with nightmares and work recently. Near thought that he hadn’t looked this happy since their wedding night.

Near hadn’t felt this happy since then either. 

They had made their way out of the cathedral in a way reminiscent of their wedding as well. Near felt less overwhelmed, Mello’s comforting presence at his side. 

They had a small break before they had to attend the celebration after. They stole a few kisses in between, changing into much lighter and less gaudy clothes. 

Near had never been one for parties, but he was surprisingly content at this one. Part of the reason was that he and Mello talked with L and Light and other people over dinner.

“We’ve visited two times now,” Light had told them. “You have to come visit us next time.” L had glanced briefly at Light and then met Near’s eyes. 

Near let himself just barely smile at L. 

“Of course,” Mello said, oblivious to the exchange. “I haven’t been to Shauso yet.” L and Light promised to show Mello around when he came to Shauso. They both seemed rather excited to have him visit. Well, as excited as L and Light bothered to express, which wasn’t much more than a smile.

After chatting with them, Mello and Near watched people drunkenly dance on the floor, Mello laughing at them all. Linda had cut Matt’s consumption off so she could stop him from joining the people. It didn’t really work.

Matt had insisted on Linda coming with him, but she refused, trying to hide her amusement. He then shifted to convincing Near, asking him to reason with Linda and persuade her to dance. 

He had also loudly whispered to Near that he wanted to propose to Linda soon and what his opinions were. Linda had pointedly looked away as if she could block him out, but she was also blushing and smiling widely. Near had kindly told him that he should drink some water and that he would love to help with the proposal when Matt was sober.

Unfortunately, Matt simply turned to Mello, and decided to challenge him to drink. By the end of the night, Mello wasn’t as drunk as Matt, but he was inebriated enough. He began to tug Near towards the floor to dance. 

Near allowed it. He didn’t like dancing, but he was amused by Mello’s behavior. It was surprising how well Mello could dance with alcohol in his system. 

Mello was grinning at him, gracefully leading him around the dance floor. Matt had finally managed to drag Linda out too. They were laughing with each other, Linda helping Matt stumble around in time with the music. 

Near looked over to the outskirts of the floor to where L and Light watched them all with amusement, leaning against each other. 

Near turned his attention back to Mello, who was still smiling at him, obviously tipsy. He had an uncharacteristically soft look in his eye. 

“What?” Near asked, giving Mello a suspicious look. 

“Nothing,” Mello said, pulling Near closer and dancing a little slower. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” 

“Us. You.” They were two simple answers, barely anything to go off of, but they made Near’s heart skip a beat. 

“Nothing bad, I hope.” 

“Of course not,” Mello said, slurring his words a little. “I’m lucky, you know.” 

“Are you?”

“I am,” Mello hummed. “You’re here, aren’t you?” 

“How sappy,” Near said blankly. 

“For fuck’s sake, I’m trying to be romantic with you.” 

“I know. Can’t you see me swooning?” 

Mello squinted at him, as if he was actually trying to see if Near was swooning. Near sighed and patted his scarred cheek.

“I’m not actually.” 

“Yeah, well I’ll make you tonight.” 

“I hope so,” Near said. “If you can do it drunk.” 

“Don’t underestimate me.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Mello started to drag him out of the room, thought Near protested that the party wasn’t over. The Alpha insisted on going anyway, reminding Near about the promise he’d made that morning. Near had just fondly let Mello lead him along, knowing that he would probably fall asleep before doing anything anyway. 

As he was led to their bedroom, he recalled being scared of Mello the first time he’d been there. It felt like a distant memory now, something that had happened years ago rather than a month ago. He’d been so fearful and alone back then. It was a stark difference from how he was currently.

He was happy now. He was able to rule alongside Mello and make the changes Albeva desperately needed to catch up. 

Things needed to be done still, but he and Mello would fix whatever issues there were. He was sure they could handle whatever was thrown at them. So long as they had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh so here’s the sappy ending... hope you liked it
> 
> Okay so thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over for reading this story and/or if you left comments or kudos!!! I really appreciate you all. I was super unsure about posting my stories, but you guys have really motivated me and been super kind, so thank you <3
> 
> So about this fic! The main story has ended but I’ll probably write a few side fics. The only one I’m certain right now that I’ll do is Matt proposing to Linda. I’m open to writing whatever people want to see since all I really want to do is write more of this au, so if there’s something in particular you want to see in a side fic for this story, feel free to let me know! (I don’t care if it’s fluff, smut, etc.) I’ll be around for quite a while, so if you post like two weeks later I’ll still do it. 
> 
> Also, I haven’t mentioned it before, but I do have a tumblr (madmeridian.tumblr.com). I don’t post or reblog or anything, but in case anyone wanted to come bug me about something you can. I’m always looking for prompts as well (mainly meronia), so if you have ideas you can spam my ask box with those. Like, feel free to just fucking send anything (angst, smut, fluff). I can’t guarantee I’ll write all of them, but I’ll try my best. 
> 
> I’m sure I’ll see you all once in a while on here. I’ll be writing smaller fics like the one I posted yesterday until I’m ready to post my other multi chapter fic I’m working on rn. That probably won’t be until September. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you again for reading!! As always, if you leave a comment, I will respond <3


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